{{translation|'''Nagato'''|長門|Nagato}}, also known as {{translation|'''Pain'''|ペイン|Pein}}, was therecognised leader of [[Akatsuki]] and [[Amegakure]] aswellasamajorantagonistoftheseries.Referredtoas"Leader"byallAkatsukimembers(exceptfor his partner, [[Konan]]), hedirectedtheactionsoftherestofthemembersandmaintainedauthorityover them. Itwaslaterrevealedthathehadsecretlycollaborated with [[Tobi]], whowasthereal leader of Akatsuki.<ref>''NarutoChronicleMiniBook''characterrelationshipchart,page30</ref>Nagato is also a descendant of the [[Uzumakiclan]],whoaredistantlyrelated to the [[Senju clan]].<ref name="c510p17">''Naruto'' chapter 510, page 17</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 579, page 11</ref>

+

{{translation|'''Nagato'''|長門|Nagato}} was amember of [[Akatsuki]] from [[Amegakure]].Afterbeingorphanedbywar,NagatohelpedformAkatsukiwiththeintentionofpromotingapeacefulendtowarfare. However, his friend and leader, [[Yahiko]], waslaterkilledforpreachingpeace,resultinginNagatolosinghopeinthisapproach. Headoptedthealiasof{{translation|'''Pain'''|ペイン|Pein}}and,whilepartnered with [[Konan]], beganleadinganew Akatsuki,onethatwouldsowdespairinordertoforce the worldtochangeitsviolentways.

== Background ==

== Background ==

−

[[File:Nagato.PNG|thumb|left|Nagato asachild.]]

+

Nagato lived with his parents in a village on the outskirts of [[Amegakure]]. When he was very young, [[Madara Uchiha]] secretly transplanted his [[Rinnegan]] into Nagato without his or his parents' knowledge.<ref name="madara">Chapter 606, page 13</ref> Sometime later, during the [[Second Shinobi World War]], Nagato andhisparents took shelter in their home to avoid the fighting going on around them. One day, two [[Konoha]] shinobi broke into their home looking for food and Nagato and his parents tried to sneak out unnoticed. When they were discovered, his parents attacked the shinobi so that Nagato could escape. The Konoha ninja killed his parents in self-defence and, upon realising they were only civilians, tried apologising to Nagato. Overcome with grief, Nagato used Madara's Rinnegan for the first time to kill them and avenge his parents.<ref>Chapter 444, pages 12-17</ref>

−

When Nagato was a child, [[Madara Uchiha]] transplanted his own [[Rinnegan|eyes]] into the young boy without his knowledge.<ref name="madara">''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 13</ref>

−

Nagato lived with his parents in a village somewhere on the outskirts of Amegakure. One day, during the [[SecondShinobiWorldWar]], two [[Konoha]] shinobi attempted to find some rest and food in their thought-to-be-abandoned home. Believingthat the shinobi were there to kill them,his parents died during the ensuing chaos in their effort to protect Nagato, as confused and shocked, the Konoha ninja mistook them for enemy shinobi. After witnessing his parents death, Nagato in his grief used the [[Rinnegan]] for the first time and killed the assailants.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 444, pages 12-17</ref> Nagato would eventually come to regard this as the first of two great sources of pain in his life,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 444, page 12</ref> only later realising that it was him who had killed the two shinobi.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 445, page 4</ref>

+

[[File:Ameorphan'sapproachSannin.png|thumb|left|Theorphansask the Sannin to teach them ninjutsu.]]

+

After becoming an orphan and burying his parents, Nagato began wandering in search of food and shelter. With resources scare due to the ongoing war, none he met would help him until he was found by [[Konan]] and [[Yahiko]], orphans like himself. They banded together, acquired food to survive through any means, and shared dreams of a future where they were in charge and could use their power to eliminate war. Yahiko was particularly passionate about this point, which inspired Nagato to adopt the same goal.<ref>Chapter 445</ref> In order to accomplish this, the three would need to become ninja. With few options to choose from, they approached Konoha's [[Sannin]] and asked to be taught [[ninjutsu]]. [[Jiraiya]], guilty over his participation in the war, offered to teach them how to look out for themselves.<ref>Chapter 446, pages 1-5</ref>

−

TheorphanedNagatowanderedthecountry,travellingfromhousetohousealongsideadognamed[[Chibi]],beggingforfood. Eventually,Nagatostartedtostarveandlater collapsed, whichleadtohimbeing found by [[Konan]],whogavehimaloafofbreadbeforetakinghim to the hideoutsheand[[Yahiko]]hadmadetheirhome.Atfirst, Yahikowasreluctanttohaveanothermouthtofeed,butreconsideredhavingNagatohangaroundduetobothboyssharing the dream of aworld without suffering. Thethreethenbegantosearchforsupplies,oftenstealing them to survive. One day, Chibiwaskilledinthecrossfirefrom[[Hanzō]]'sfightwithseveralKonohashinobi,includingthe[[Sannin]], with Nagato and theother[[AmeOrphans|orphans]]latermourningthedog'sdeath.<ref>''Naruto''chapter445,pages2-17</ref>Asthewar was nearing its conclusion, the threeorphans encountered the Sanninthemselves.Although[[Orochimaru]]intendedto kill the childrentoputthemoutoftheirmisery, [[Jiraiya]]decidedtoremain in Amegakuretoteachthe trio how to protect themselves.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 1-5</ref>

+

Jiraiyafoundaplaceforthemtoliveandtaughtthemhowtofish,buthewouldnot teach themninjutsu. Whiletheorphanswereoutoneday, theywerefoundandassaulted by an [[Iwagakure]] [[chūnin]].Fearingforhisfriends'lives,NagatousedhisRinnegan to kill the Iwa-nin.WhenJiraiyaarrivedonthescenetohelpthem, henoticedNagato'seyesforthefirsttimeandwasremindedofthelegendsofthe[[SageoftheSix Paths]], the original possessor of theRinnegan. Becauseofthis,Jiraiyachangedhismindandbeganteaching them ninjutsu.<ref>Chapter373, page4</ref>NagatowasremorsefulforkillingtheIwa-nin,butJiraiyaconvincedhimthatsometimesviolence and personalpainwasnecessarytoprotectothers.IntimeheevensharedhisbeliefthatNagato was the Sageof the SixPaths'reincarnationandthat,like the originalSage,NagatowouldusehisRinneganto [[ChildoftheProphecy|usher in aworldofpeace]].

Forthree years Jiraiya trained the orphans. Nagato,becauseof his Rinnegan, mastered everything he was taught.<ref name="mastery">Chapter 375, page 11</ref> Once they were abletodefeatoneof his [[shadow clone]]sinafight,Jiraiyadecidedtheywerereadytoforgeoutontheirownandhereturnedto Konoha, confidenttheywouldbringreformtothecountry.<ref>Chapter446, pages5-10</ref>Thethreeformedan organisation they called [[Akatsuki]], with Yahiko as its leader, and began advocating an end to war. Their message proved popular and they gathered many followers;<ref>Chapter446, pages10-11</ref> evenJiraiyawouldsometimeshearnewsoftheirexploits.<ref>Chapter372,page7</ref>Duringthe[[ThirdShinobiWorldWar]],theirgroupwasapproachedbya[[Obito|man]]callinghimself"MadaraUchiha". He offered to helpthemintheirpursuitsandtoshowNagatohowtounlock the fullpotentialofhisRinneganbutYahikorefusedtheoffer, suspectingheonly meant to use them.<ref>Chapter607, pages 1-5</ref>

Throughouttheir quest for peace, Akatsuki'sranksswelledandbecameknownthroughout Amegakure, somuchso that [[Hanzō]], the village'sleader,begantofeelAkatsuki threatened his rule. He approached Akatsuki, offeringtoworktogetherwith them to help negotiate with theotherwarringvillages. The nextday, atameetingtofinalisethe arrangement, Yahiko and NagatowereambushedbyHanzōandhismen,withsupportfromKonoha's [[Danzō Shimura]].UsingKonan as ahostage,HanzōthreatenedtokillherifNagatodidnotkillYahiko.UnwillingtoletNagatohavethaton his conscience, Yahiko killed himself, using hisdyingbreath to statehis faith that Nagato would change the world.<ref>Chapter 446, pages 11-17</ref> EnragedbyYahiko's death, NagatotookKonanbackfromHanzō, thoughhislegswere [[FireRelease:ExplodingFlameFormation|badlydamaged]]intheprocess.Hethen[[Summoning Technique|summoned]] the [[DemonicStatueoftheOuterPath]]and,upon[[ChakraReceiver|linkingwithit]],usedittoslaughterHanzō'smen,thoughHanzōhimselfescaped.<ref name="c447">Chapter447</ref>

−

Fearing that Akatsuki would become a threat to his regime, Hanzō schemed with [[Danzō]] of Konoha's [[Root]] to eliminate its three leading members by making it seem that Hanzō wanted to discuss peace. Once the trap was sprung, Hanzō placed Nagato in a position where he had to kill Yahiko witha kunai, otherwise Konan would die. Before Nagato could take either option, Yahiko forcibly impaled himself onto the kunai that was placed in Nagato'shand, sparing him from making such a horrid decision himself. In his final moments, Yahiko told Nagato to survive as he believed him to be the saviourthat Jiraiya spoke of. The death of his friend marked the second great pain of Nagato's life.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 11-17</ref>

Afterwards Nagato severed his ties with Amegakure by slashing the village's symbol on his [[forehead protector]], no longer wishing to be affiliated with Hanzō's village. Following the damage he'd received from Hanzō and the Demonic Statue, it left Nagato's body frail and deprived him of mobility. Yahiko's death convinced Nagato that his philosophies about achieving peace were foolish; the world would never willingly end the cycle of death and hatred it had operated on for so long. Only through direct experience of war and all the losses and agonies it brought could anyone truly desire peace. Wanting Yahiko to still be the leader of the Akatsuki, he created a [[Six Paths of Pain|technique]] that turned his corpse into the [[Deva Path]], and adopted the alias of Pain. Accepting Tobi's earlier offer of support, Nagato began recruiting [[S-rank]] [[missing-nin]] into the Akatsuki and started offering its services as a mercenary group to ninja villages, earning the money necessary to fund its long-term plans.

−

{{ImgRight|NagatoStatue.png|Nagato after he used theDemonicStatue.}}

+

[[File:HanzoPain.png|thumb|left|PainconfrontingHanzō.]]

−

DevastatedasheretrievedKonanalongwithYahiko'scorpse, a furiousNagatolaunchedanattackonHanzō'smen. After[[Summoning:DemonicStatue of theOuterPath|summoning]]the[[DemonicStatue of theOuterPath]] and becomingemaciatedfromthenumerous[[ChakraReceiver|blackrods]]thatitembeddedinhisback, Nagatoslaughtered everyone but Hanzō, whouseda[[Exploding TagTechnique|trap]] to crippleNagato's legs. Becomingthenewleader of Akatsuki,nowgoingbythe name of "Pain",Nagatoseveredhistiesto Amegakure and resolved to show the worldwhat the meaning of painis.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter447,pages1-14</ref>

+

Yearslaterandstillloyaltohisownversion of Amegakure, Pain and Konan began a civilwarinthevillagetooverthrowHanzō. Muchofthevillagers rallied behind him, believing him to be a god because of hisimmensepower.Nagato eventually used hisSixPaths of Paintostorm Hanzō’s tower and killhimalongsideallhisguards.Inordertopreventanyonefromchallenginghim, Painproceeded to eliminate everyone even remotely connected to Hanzō, frommembersofhisfamily to distantacquaintances.<refname="c369p9-14">Chapter369,pages 9-14</ref>Because of thevillagessecretivenature,news of Hanzō'sdeathnevermadeitoutside of Amegakure and the village was believed to still be divided by the civilwar. Pain embraced the villagers' idea of himbeing God, single-handedly crushing remnants loyal to Hanzō whenever they surfaced and ending Amegakure'sperpetualraineverySunday in homage to Yahiko.

−

−

Devising a means to regain movement by converting Yahiko's body into the first of his [[Six Paths of Pain]], the [[Deva Path]], Pain led rebelling forces in the Amegakure civil war and took control of the village by assassinating Hanzō. Concealing his true body in the shadows, and becoming a "god" to Amegakure's people, Pain solidified his leadership by systematically killing anyone who had ties to the former leader, from friends and family to ambassadors from other ninja villages.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 369, pages 9-14</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 531, pages 14-15</ref>

== Personality ==

== Personality ==

−

As a child, Nagato was a sensitive,kind boy, prone to crying,and was traumatised by the idea of killing others,evenifitwas to savehisfriend Yahiko.Scaredandunsureofhisplacein the world,hedesiredtohelpthosehecaredabout,butneverknewhow.Hewasconsistentlyrespectfulandkind to Konan, whoheclaimed to behis"angel"inAmegakure.Hewasshownprotectingher,withoutrequestorhesitationfromJiraiyabefore his battlewithhisformerteacher. Apparently,shewastheonlyAkatsukimemberthataddressedhimbyname.He was awareofKonan'sfeelingstowardsYahikoandleftthemalonetohavepersonaltimetogether.

+

Nagato was a sensitive child, prone to crying over the sufferings of himself and others.Whenhemet[[Yahiko]] he tried to breakthishabit by following Yahiko'sphilosophythatcryingwouldn'tchangeanything,but the attemptwasunsuccessful.[[Jiraiya]]laterpointedouttohimthathissensitivitywasactuallyastrength,asitallowed him to understand pain better and, inturn,be kinder to others.ThisviewresonatedwithNagatoandcausedhimtorealisethathewantedtotakeon all of his friends'painsothatthey wouldn't have to. Italsofinallysucceededinendinghiscrying;whenJiraiyalefttheirgroup it was Yahikowhocriedtoseehimgo,whileNagatoonlythankedhimforall the guidance he'dprovided.

+

+

In one form or another, Nagato spent his entire life placing the needs of others before his own: his main motivation for becoming a ninja in the first place was so that he could protect Yahiko and [[Konan]]; he viewed his role in the original Akatsuki as a powerful tool meant to help Yahiko bring peace to their country; as leader of his own version of Akatsuki, he felt it was his responsibility to save the world from itself, inflicting pains of such magnitude that nobody would ever harm anyone else ever again. While this indicates a growing self-importance Nagato regarded himself with, it was encouraged by the similarly growing esteem others regarded him with due to his [[Rinnegan]]: Jiraiya believed he was the reincarnation of the [[Sage of the Six Paths]]; Yahiko and the rest of Akatsuki believed he was the "[[Saviour of the World]]"; the villagers of Amegakure believed him "God".

−

As anadult,afterlosingYahiko,hispersonalitybecameverydifferent,havingbecome a calm, serious,aloof,anddetachedman.Apparentlybelievingtraumashe experienced in his youthhad enlightened him to the true meaning of painandsuffering,heconsideredhimselfadeity, and believedhehadevolvedbeyondamerehuman being. He sought to show the worldthemeaningofpainbyusinganultimateweapontodeterfuturewars,bymeanssimilar to "mutuallyassureddestruction", andshowednomoralqualmsabouthisactions.HewasevenwillingtokillJiraiya,hisformersensei,toensurethecompletion of hisplans. Heevenwentsofarastoproclaimhimselfa"godof peace", that had to guidethe world to maturitythroughpain.Finally,hefeltthatno-onecouldunderstandtruepeaceunlesstheyunderstood"true"pain,something his childhood friend Yahikobelieved. [[Minato Namikaze]] believedTobitohavebeenusingthisphilosophyinhisfavour,inordertomanipulateNagato.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 440, page 11</ref>

+

As achildthatgrewupinthemiddleofothercountries'wars, Nagatodidnotlikekillingandwashorrifiedby his earlyacts of violenceagainstthosewhohadharmedhisfriends and family.HesupportedYahiko'sAkatsukibecauseitwanted to end the warsanddeathsthathehatedsomuch.AfterYahiko'sdeath,Nagatocompromisedhisaversiontokilling to alargeextent, believingthedeathsofspecificindividualsorevenhundredsatatimecouldbejustifiedifitservedagreaterand/orlong-termpurpose. ButNagatoremainsveryclearinthisdistinction,asheshowsmercy to thosewilling to cooperatewithhimanddiscouragesothersfromdefyinghimbecauseitwillonlyforcehimtostrikethemdown. [[Minato Namikaze]] believesthat,atsomepointalongtheway,Nagato'sviewswerecorruptedandsubsequentlymanipulatedby Tobi.<ref>Chapter 440, page 11</ref>

DespitethenumberofpersonalchangesNagatowent through during his life, healwaysremainedfundamentally kind and respectful. Withhisfellow members ofAkatsuki, he mournsthosewhodieinthepursuitofAkatsuki'sgoals<ref>Chapter363,page9</ref>anddisapprovesofname-callingamongstpeers.<ref>Chapter353, page 11</ref> Heextendssimilarcourtesiestohisopponents, being honoured to meet one so strong as [[Kakashi Hatake]],<ref>Chapter420, page 10</ref> despitealsobeingdeterminedtokillKakashibecausethatverysamestrengthwouldinevitablyinterferewithAkatsuki'splans. Forall his kindness,Nagatohasacertainprejudiceagainst [[Konoha]] becauseitsninjahaveplayedarolein a number of his life's tragedies. He tried to change this opinion because of Jiraiya'spositiveinfluence, butultimately decided that Konoha's successes were predicated on the misfortunes of others.

−

BecauseKonohagakurewaspartlyresponsibleforthetragediesinhislife,heheld a greatdealofanimositytowards the village.AlthoughJiraiya'sinfluenceimprovedhisopinionof the villageduringtheirtimetogether, heeventuallycame to believethatKonohaprofitedfrom the tragediesofothersandhateditandhisformerteacher.

+

DespitehisconvictiontoAkatsuki'sobjective,NarutoultimatelymadehimreconsiderandNagato came to believe Jiraiya's goal to obtain peace was a trilogytowhichJiraiyawas the perfectfirstnovel.Nagatoreferredtohimselfas the failuresecondnoveland with his last moments askedNaruto, thethirdnovel to besogreatitmade the worldforgetthefailurehewas.Thisalsoshowed Nagato has grown more humble, going from seeing himself as a god to afailure.

−

After his [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnation]], Nagato hasshowntobekinder and carefree to thepointhewasevenwillingtostartmakingjokes,somethingwhichsurprised[[Naruto]].<ref>''Naruto''chapter549,page11</ref>His opinion of Narutoalsostrengthenedafterhelastsawhim,pointingoutto[[ItachiUchiha]]thathewasn'tsurprisedthatNarutowasable to advancehis controlover the [[Nine-TailedDemonFox]]sincetheybothhad studied under the same [[Jiraiya|master]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 549, page 2</ref>

+

Despite Nagato havingnoproblemkillingJiraiya and claiming to havenomoreloveforhim,Nagatostillrespectedhimandheldamomentofsilenceasasign of respectafterkillinghim.AfterbeingpersuadedbyNarutoandreincarnated,NagatoregainedloveforJiraiyaandexpressedexcitementaboutgoing to seeJiraiyain the afterlifebeforehewassealedbyItachi.

Nagato wasafair-skinnedman with chin-length red hair (a colour whichisa trademark of the Uzumaki clan)withhismostnoticeable trait being his Rinnegan eyes. As achild, his hair would regularly hang off his faceblocking the view of his eyes;lateronly covering the right side of hisface. Asadult,Nagatogrew to be slightlyshorterthanYahiko,butaftersubjectinghimselftothe[[Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]],Nagato was reducedtoanemaciatedversion of hisformerself with [[chakra receiver]]simplantedintohisback,oneineach of hisshoulder joints, smaller ones in his forearms and twometal-likescrewunderhiscollarbones,nearhisshoulder joint. Nagatousesamechanicalwalkerformobility, which could fire [[ChakraDisruptionBlades]] forpersonal defence. He was the only Akatsuki member never seen wearing the organisation'suniform, until after his death, and he ceased wearing a slashed out forehead protector after defeating Hanzō. However,his Six Paths of Pain wore both in his stead. After Nagato used the [[OuterPath: Samsara of HeavenlyLifeTechnique]] toreviveall the Konohagakure citizens that had been killed during his invasion, his red hair turned white due to the overexertion of his [[chakra]].WhenreincarnatedbyKabuto,Nagatowasleftintheexactstate as he died - emaciated andwithwhite hairs. Theonlyexceptionwereblackrodsthatarenolongerattachedtohisbody.However,afterNagatouseshis ability to [[BlockingTechniqueAbsorptionSeal|absorb chakra]] from[[B]]'s[[KillerB'sJinchūrikiForms#Version2|Version2]]form,thischakraseemingly revitalised Nagato's body, restoring his musclemass,andrestoring his hair colour from white back to the Uzumaki clan's characteristic red colour.

+

Nagato haspalewhiteskin with straight red hair, a colour owingtohis[[Uzumaki]]heritage.Whenhewasveryyoung, his hair covered his eyes,preventing his [[Rinnegan]]frombeingvisible. Whenhestartedtraining to be aninjahepartedhishairsothatonlyhisrighteye was covered.Afterheperforms[[Samsara of HeavenlyLifeTechnique]] hishairturnswhiteasaside-effect of thejutsu, and itremainswhiteafterheis[[Summoning:ImpureWorldReincarnation|reincarnated]]. Hishairbecomesredagainwhenhe [[BlockingTechniqueAbsorption Seal|absorbs]] someof the [[Eight-Tails]]' [[chakra]]. Linkingwith the [[DemonicStatue of theOuterPath]] leftanumber of [[chakra receiver]]sembeddedinhisbackandcausedhisbodytobecomevery emaciated,limitinghismobility. Forthisreasonhespendsmostofhisadultlifeinamechanicalwalkerfromwhichhecontrolsthe [[SixPathsofPain]].HelikewisedoesnotpersonallywearanyofthetypicalAkatsukiclothing, having his Pathswearitinstead.

== Abilities ==

== Abilities ==

−

[[File:Nagato using the Asura Path.png|thumb|Nagato using the abilities of the Six Paths Technique after being reincarnated.]]

+

[[File:Nagato using the Asura Path.png|thumb|left|Nagato simultaneously using the Six Paths Technique.]]

−

As the leader of the [[S-rank]] criminal organisation [[Akatsuki]], and one of the two sides of the [[Amegakure]] civil war, Nagato was an extraordinarily powerful shinobi, and recognised as the most powerful member of Akatsuki. He was [[KabutoYakushi]]'ssecond strongest [[Summoning:ImpureWorldReincarnation|reincarnated]]shinobisincehenotedthathe'dhave to bring out his [[Madara Uchiha|trump card]] after he was sealed.<ref>''Naruto''chapter 552, page 3</ref> His partner, [[Konan]], had stated that he had never lost a single battle, and that he was "unbeatable".<ref>''Naruto''chapter 367, page 13</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 407, page 16</ref> [[Fukasaku]] stated that without understanding Pain's power, no one could defeat him,<ref>''Naruto''chapter 406, page3</ref> and even [[Obito]] noted that Nagato was invincible while praising Jiraiya.<ref>''Naruto''chapter 407, page 15</ref> Nagato was able to kill [[Jiraiya]] withrelativeeaseafter revealing all six of his bodies. In praising his former teacher, Nagato later noted that hehad underestimated Jiraiya's level of [[Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant|genjutsu usage]],statingthathe likely would not havewonifJiraiya had uncoveredthesecretbehindhis Six Paths ofPain technique.<ref name="praise"/> Itwas with thesesix bodies that Nagato ledacivilwarinAmegakurethatnotonlyeasilykilled[[Hanzō]] and overthrew his regime, butalsoeradicatedhis lineage and anyone remotely associated with him and his ideals.<ref>''Naruto''chapter 369, pages9-14</ref><ref>''Naruto''chapter 531, pages14-15</ref> [[Zetsu]] expressedshockwhenNagatowasdefeatedby [[Naruto Uzumaki]],statingthatheneverthought Nagato would ever lose, even in a weakened state.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 450, page 7</ref>

After being [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnated]] by [[Kabuto Yakushi]], he was able to easily overwhelm both [[Naruto Uzumaki]] and [[Killer B]], despite Naruto being in his [[Nine-Tails Chakra Mode]] and Killer B being in perfect synchronisation with [[Gyūki]], his [[tailed beast]]. He would have killed them both had it not been for the intervention of [[Itachi Uchiha]]. It took the combined efforts of Naruto, B, and Itachi to successfullydefeatNagato.

+

=== Chakra and PhysicalProwess===

+

[[File:Nagato Releases his Chakra.png|thumb|Nagato exerts his chakra through the Deva Path.]]

+

Because he descended from the [[Uzumaki clan]], Nagato's [[chakra]] was naturally resilient. His actual chakra reserves were unusually vast, enough that he could perform a large-scale [[Shinra Tensei]], [[Chibaku Tensei]], and [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]], as well as numerous other jutsu, all in the same day. One of the [[Fifth Hokage]]'s [[Anbu]] bodyguards attributed this chakra supply to his [[Rinnegan]]. Nagato could constantly alter the nature of his chakra to prevent him from being located by [[sensor]]s.

−

Nagato'slegsweregreatlydamaged in a battle against Hanzō. As a result, eventhoughhewasablestand on his own,helackedfull mobility. Tomakeup for this,whilealive,NagatousedtheSixPathsofPaintofightforhimwhileheremainedinamechanicalwalker. When he was reincarnated byKabuto,heusedvarious [[Summoning Technique|summons]] tomovearoundandtokeephimselfoutofrangeofhisopponents'attacks.EvenafterbeingrejuvenatedbyGyūki'schakra,whichhehad[[BlockingTechniqueAbsorptionSeal|absorbed]]fromKiller B, Nagato's mobility was still limited.

As a member of the [[Uzumaki clan]], he also possessed an exceptionally strong life force and the potential for an incredibly long life span. It has been noted at several points in time that Nagato possessed an unusually large amount of exceptionally strong chakra. [[Tsunade]]'s ANBU escorts expressed shock on how much chakra he could produce through [[Deva Path]]. It was to the point that even after he decimated Konoha and fought Naruto Uzumaki, he still had enough strength to revive all of the people he had killed since arriving in the village. Likewise, Nagato demonstrated considerable control over his chakra, able to constantly alter its nature to prevent sensors from detecting his signature.

−

−

=== Taijutsu ===

−

While not shown in full, Nagato had shown a high level of taijutsu showcased through his [[Six Paths of Pain]], and especially the [[Asura Path]]. He was easily able to overwhelm characters as skilled in taijutsu as [[Kakashi Hatake]] through his Deva Path with a [[Chakra Disruption Blade]] despite his [[Sharingan]] being active. He was also able to contend with [[Jiraiya]]'s [[Sage Mode]] strength, able to block one of his kicks through [[Human Path]] with one hand despite the path being blinded. Not only that, when his Deva Path was under a cool down after using the gigantic version of [[Shinra Tensei]] he was able to fight Naruto Uzumaki nigh-evenly in taijutsu while he was getting ready to get back into Sage Mode despite Naruto's extensive taijutsu training with the toads.

−

−

He has also displayed highly impressive speed and reflexes as well. When rescuing [[Konan]] from [[Hanzō]] he could cover a massive amount of distance in an instant with Hanzō being unable to react until after he had saved Konan. He could easily react to Naruto's thrown [[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken]], either dodging with less than a second to spare or blocking it with [[Preta Path]]. And after his [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnation]] he was able to attack Killer B from behind after blowing him a considerable distance with a focused Shinra Tensei, practically appearing right behind him out of nowhere despite his limited mobility.

−

−

Finally, through his paths and himself, he has shown impressive durability. The first of which was surviving dozens of [[explosive tag]]s that Hanzō laid in trap for him with only his legs being damaged. After being reincarnated, Nagato was able to endure being burned by [[Amaterasu]] for an extended period which had only burned a part of his arm, as well as survive Killer B's Version 2 [[Lariat]] without damage, even absorbing Gyūki's chakra with the Preta Path.

During his training with Jiraiya, Nagato was able to master every jutsu he was taught, covering numerous varieties of jutsu and all of the basic [[naturetransformation]]s,accomplishmentsextremely rare even for adults, let alone ten year-olds. Although, this was mainly because of the Rinnegan he received from Madara unknowingly.<ref name="mastery" /> Many of the miscellaneous jutsu he was seen performing facilitate Akatsuki's meetings, such as [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|allowingmembers to meet astrally across great distances]], [[Five-Seal Barrier|protecting the siteof their meetings]], and [[Mirrored Sudden Attacker|distracting opposing forces]]. One of the more noteworthy exceptions to this was [[Rain Tiger at Will Technique]], which allowed him to use rainfall to monitor everyone moving within Amegakure.

−

While acting through the Deva Path, Nagato displayed a wide range of techniques. Nagato was responsible for Akatsuki's meetings by using a technique that allowed him to pick up their thought waves and broadcast them in the form of an [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|astral projection]] to a specific location. During the time when a tailed beast was being [[Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals|extracted]] from its [[jinchūriki]], Nagato would set up various ways to stall and prevent potential rescuers from getting to them in time to stop the extraction. Among these various techniques was the [[Five-Seal Barrier]], which prevented anyone from destroying anything that was within its boundaries without simultaneously removing the five seals — an effective method to split enemy forces. Nagato also added another safety procedure, which activated once the seals had been removed, [[Mirrored Sudden Attacker Technique|creating copies]] that perfectly resembled the ones who removed the seals, imitating their battle skills as well. Another technique that Nagato used to delay and stop pursuers from interrupting the extraction was the [[Shapeshifting Technique]], which allowed Nagato to allocate a portion of an individual's chakra and transfer it into a living human sacrifice, allowing the original to fight by controlling their "copy". This allowed the sacrifices to attain whatever [[kekkei genkai]], techniques and weapons the individual possessed. However, once the allocated chakra was finished along with the sacrifice's own, the technique would cancel and the copy would be killed.

−

Nagato was able to use the [[Summoning Technique]] to summon Konan and the other Six Paths. He could also use the [[AmplificationSummoningTechnique]],whichallowed him to summon an animal with a specific condition.Furthermore, whenguarding[[Amegakure]] Nagato was able to use the [[Rain Tiger at Will Technique]] to make it rain. This rain was infused with his chakra and as such, served as a large-scale sensory technique for him in his village. Nagato was also a [[Chakra Sensing Technique|sensor]], and was able to detect the buildup of [[Amaterasu]]before it was launched and even pinpoint [[Kabuto Yakushi]] kilometres away despite the latter having erected a [[Barrier Ninjutsu|barrier]] around his location.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 550, page 3</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 580, page 7</ref>

+

Nagato could pinpoint the locationofothersacrossgreatdistances, evenpenetratingbeyond [[barrier]]serected for the expresspurpose of blockingdetection.<ref>Chapter 580, page 7</ref>

=== Rinnegan ===

=== Rinnegan ===

−

{{main|Rinnegan}}

+

[[File:Nagato's Rinnegan.png|thumb|left|Nagato's Rinnegan.]]

−

[[File:Nagato Rinnegan.jpg|thumb|right|Nagato'sRinnegan.]]

+

Nagato'sskill in so many types of ninjutsu was due in large part to his [[Rinnegan]].<ref>Chapter 425, page 9</ref> Though he was not the eyes' original owner, being an Uzumaki allowed Nagato to wield both eyes without drawbacks; his skill was great enough to earn recognition as the {{Translation|"Third Six Paths"|三人目の六道|Sanninmeno Rikudō}}.<ref name="3R"/>

−

Nagato wielded the power of the legendary [[Rinnegan]],<ref name="madara"/> a [[dōjutsu]] which was originally possessed by the [[Sage of the Six Paths]], the world's first shinobi, and the founder of modern [[ninjutsu]]. Even as a child, Jiraiya noted that Nagato had mastered every ninjutsu he taught him and with the Rinnegan, he was able to master all five basic [[nature transformation]]s as a child — something that was completely unprecedented.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 375, page 11</ref> According to [[Ibiki Morino|Ibiki]], the Rinnegan allowed Nagato to use any technique he wished.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 425, page 9</ref> Nagato was also adept at the use of [[genjutsu]], having used it to install [[Mental Barricades|mental barriers]] and traps in his minions' minds to prevent others from accessing secret information.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 418, page 12</ref> Similar to the other great dōjutsu, the Rinnegan bestowed him with enhanced vision, allowing him to see [[chakra]] and otherwise invisible [[Barrier Ninjutsu|barrier techniques]], which he used during his invasion of Konoha to detect the barrier around the perimeter of the location. Due to his possession of Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan and his own Senju lineage, Nagato was also able to summon and control the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]].<ref name="madara"/>

+

+

The greatest advantage of the Rinnegan was the access it gave Nagato to all of the [[Six Paths Technique]]s: the gravitational powers of the [[Deva Path]]; the menagerie of [[Summoning Technique|summons]] available to the [[Animal Path]]; the limitless absorptive potential of the [[Preta Path]]; the control over others' souls with the [[Human Path]]; the different options of mechanisation in the [[Asura Path]]; access to the [[King of Hell]] through the [[Naraka Path]]. Because of the limitations of his real body, Nagato had few chances to use any of these abilities directly. When the opportunity arose, though, he could shift between the different Paths seamlessly and instantly, performing the many abilities on a level he wasn't capable of when using them through others.<ref>Chapter 551, page 10</ref>

−

Asstatedby Konan, Nagato was able to use all of theablitiesofthe[[SixPathsTechnique]] himself,asthey are all abilities of the Rinnegan. This was later demonstrated after he was reincarnated by [[KabutoYakushi]]. With his ability to simultaneously utilise the variousabilities of the Six Paths Technique with one body, Nagato provedtobeaformidableopponent,easilyoverwhelmingNarutoandKillerBatthesametime.Narutonoted that since he wasusing his real body, the strength and speed of his techniques were on a much higher level.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter551, page 10</ref> However,whenfightingonhisown,Nagatowaswithoutthe protection and shared vision offered by the Six Paths of Pain.

+

Theonebranch of SixPathsTechniquesthatNagatoreservedfor himself wasthat of the [[OuterPath]]. As the OuterPath, Nagato couldsummonandcontrolthe[[DemonicStatueoftheOuterPath]],<refname="madara"/>produce[[chakrareceiver]]sintowhich he canchannel his chakra,<ref>Chapter444, page 4</ref> andusethe[[SamsaraofHeavenlyLifeTechnique]]torevive the dead.

==== Six Paths of Pain ====

==== Six Paths of Pain ====

−

{{main|Six Paths of Pain}}

+

[[File:Six Paths Pain.png|thumb|The Six Paths of Pain.]]

−

[[File:New Six Paths Anime.jpg|thumb|left|TheSix Paths of Pain.]]

+

With the Outer Path, Nagato could form what he calls his "[[Six Paths of Pain]]". By embedding chakra receivers throughout the bodies of six corpses – arranged to resemble body piercings – Nagato was able to control all of them remotely as though they were his own. He could control the Paths across great distances, but for more chakra-demanding techniques, it was necessary for the Path to first be brought closer to his position. An alternative to this was cutting off control of five of the Paths and focusing all of his chakra into one. The Paths can be used to react to threats in mere seconds and, because they are corpses, the bodies are unfazed by all but the most debilitating types of damage.

−

Nagato's most powerful and most used technique was the {{translation|'''[[Six Paths of Pain]]'''|ペイン六道|Pein Rikudō}}. This technique allowed Nagato to control six separate bodies as though they were his own. Each of these bodies were reanimated corpses that were both kept mobile by and made use of Nagato's own chakra. By using these six bodies for combat rather than himself, Nagato avoided the risk of being killed in battle by a stronger opponent and compensated for his lack of mobility. As Nagato's vision was linked with the bodies, he essentially had six fields of vision, making it virtually impossible for his enemies to attack any of the bodies without being seen. Nagato's vision was also linked with the [[King of Hell]] and the various creatures he [[Animal Path|summoned]], which also possessed Rinnegan. While controlling the Six Paths under the alias of "Pain", Nagato still regarded the bodies as separate entities from himself.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 443, page 3</ref> The Paths were unable to feel physical pain, as they were merely manipulated corpses, which [[Ibiki Morino]] discovered when he tried [[Summoning: Torture Chamber|torturing]] the second [[Second Animal Path (character)|Animal Path]].<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 160</ref>

−

Whilemakinguse of the technique,Nagatoremainedinamachine that moved with six relatively small mechanical legs and used severallarge[[ChakraReceiver|chakrarods]]onhisbackto transmit chakra to the corpses. Fromhis location, the chakra was picked up by the numerous receivers, modelledas body piercings on each body.Tocontrolthem,Nagatohadtobe closeby, andideallyat the highestpossiblepoint,so he couldhavethebestpossiblerange. Certaintechniques,suchas[[ChibakuTensei]] could only be usedthroughtheSixPathswhile they were within a certain range of Nagato. His technique output was also increased while focusing on only one of the Six Paths,althoughthis would leave the others vulnerable and, in the case of overusing the Deva Path's [[Shinra Tensei|ability]], shortenNagato'slifespanandrequiretheDevaPath's power to rechargeforalongeramountoftimethanusual.Nagatowasalsoable to firechakrareceiversfromhismechanicalwalkerand, fromacloseenoughrange,controlthebodiesofthosepierced by them withhischakra,although this effect could beresisted.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter444, page 4</ref>

+

Intheory,each of the SixPathsofPaincouldbe used toperformanyjutsuthatNagatowascapableof. Inpractice, however, helimited each body toonebranchoftheSixPathsTechniques, theexceptionbeing the DevaPaththroughwhich he performedanumberofmiscellaneousjutsu. EachPathservedaspecificpurpose, be itoffensive,defensive,reconnaissanceorrepair. None of the Paths specificallyspecialised in [[taijutsu]], butallwereabletokeeppaceduringhand-to-handcombatwitheventhemostpractisedopponent.ThoughheconsideredallsixPaths to bepartofthePainidentityhegave himself, Nagatostillregardedthemasseparateentitiesfromhimself,referringto them bywhicheverPaththeyembody.<ref>Chapter443, page 3</ref>

−

Based on the six Buddhist Realms of Reincarnation, each body was named after one of the Six Paths techniques: [[DevaPath|Deva]], [[Asura Path|Asura]], [[Human Path|Human]],[[AnimalPath|Animal]], [[Preta Path|Preta]],and[[Naraka Path|Naraka]]. The only common feature shared by these bodies was their bright orange hair and their Rinnegan. Each also had a vast number of body and facial piercings of various shapes, sizes, and patterns. Each body seemed to servea specific purpose in battle, such as summoning, repairing, and defensive capability. Nagato himself was regarded as the seventh Pain, the "[[Outer Path]]", with control over the forces of life and death. The Outer Path abilities also allowed for Nagato's use of the Six Paths of Pain. [[Fukasaku]] stated that the best way of fighting Pain was to take out the Six Paths one at a time, as they were most formidable when fighting together.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 422, page 10</ref>

Although the Six Paths were individually strong, they were at their most formidable when used together, with the simultaneous use of all six being the primary reason for Pain's infamous invincibility.<ref>Chapter 422, page 10</ref> This was because the six Paths, as well as the Animal Path's summons and the King of Hell, share the same vision,<ref>Chapter 551, page 6</ref> allowing Nagato to coordinate their movements with maximum efficiency. They could attack from multiple angles and dodge attacks they couldn't have seen but that occurred within another Path's field of vision. Each of the Paths had its own importance in a fight – the Naraka Path's ability to restore all the other Paths, making it the most valuable – and therefore, Nagato would sacrifice other Paths to protect those further up the hierarchy.

−

===Intelligence===

+

Despitetheadvantages the six bodies granted him in a fight, Nagato tried to limit his usage to as few bodies as possible to reduce the likelihood of anyone discovering the secret of how the Six Paths of Pain work. When Konoha began to understand the idiosyncrasies of the ability, he destroyed the village in an effort to kill anyone who might know that none of the six Paths were the real him.

−

Nagato has shown a quite analytical and strategic mind, and could be considered a genius. At age 10 he managed to master all five basic Nature Transformations as well as [[Yin Release]], [[Yang Release]], and [[Yin–Yang Release]] which according to [[Jiraiya]] is completely unprecedented. When in battle, he was careful to keep his [[Six Paths of Pain]] a complete secret, using one or at most three bodies to engage an opponent while keeping the other three in reserve. If the three were defeated, he could easily send the other three to reinforce them and attack the enemy when they are off guard.

−

Whenhelaunchedhis [[Invasion of Pain]] on [[Konohagakure]], he split and designated his bodies into specific tasks: Asura Path, Animal Path, and Preta Path ran diversionary tactics while Deva Path, Human Path, and Naraka Path ran reconnaissance. With this he was able to engage the entire village at once while keeping his true intentions a secret and ultimately he was able to accomplish his objective in locating Naruto. Due to Konoha starting to figure out his secrets, as well as [[Tsunade]]'s defiance, he destroyed the village to preserve the former.

+

==PartI==

+

=== Sasuke Recovery Mission ===

+

{{main|Sasuke Recovery Mission}}

+

Pain gathers the rest of [[Akatsuki]] to discuss [[Sasuke Uchiha]]'s recent alliance with [[Orochimaru]], as well as the anticipated completion of their plans three years hence.

−

WhenengagingNaruto, he chose a specific formation that would buy enough time for Deva Path's powers to regenerate and keep Naraka Path safe. Using this strategy he was able to temporarily defeat Naruto despite being exhausted and at a disadvantage from the start.

+

==Interlude==

−

+

=== In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths ===

−

==PartI==

+

{{main|InNaruto'sFootsteps:The Friends' Paths}}

−

===SasukeRetrievalArc===

+

Intheanime,twoyears after the Akatsuki meeting, Amegakure is invited to participate in the [[Chūnin Exams]] being held jointly by [[Konohagakure]] and [[Sunagakure]]. Not ready to take Akatsuki public yet, Pain accepts the invitation and sends several teams of [[genin]] to keep up appearances.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 395</ref> The messenger, [[Kakashi Hatake]], later sneaks back into the village to investigate the rumours surrounding it. Pain immediately [[Rain Tiger at Will Technique|detects]] Kakashi and sends guards to capture him, forcing him to retreat.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 398</ref>

−

Pain made a silhouette appearance with the other Akatsuki members while they were discussing [[Orochimaru]] and the [[Nine-Tails]].

== Part II ==

== Part II ==

−

Painappearsfrequentlyas a [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|hologram]] during the early arcs of Part II, convening the Akatsuki members whenever a [[tailed beast]] needs to be sealed. As Part II progresses, portions of his face are shown before culminating in his full début alongside Konan.

+

===KazekageRescueMission===

+

{{main|Kazekage Rescue Mission}}

+

After [[Gaara]] is captured by [[Deidara]] and [[Sasori]], Pain convenes Akatsuki to begin extracting the [[One-Tail]] from Gaara's body. Konoha ninja start to convene on their location during the three day process, so Pain uses the [[Shapeshifting Technique]] to send copies of [[Kisame Hoshigaki]] and [[Itachi Uchiha]] to distract them. The copies are defeated, but they buy the necessary time and the One-Tail is sealed. As the rest of Akatsuki disperses, Pain instructs Deidara and Sasori to deal with the Konoha ninja that have arrived outside their lair.

−

=== KazekageRescueArc ===

+

=== AkatsukiSuppressionMission ===

−

After [[Gaara]] was captured by [[Deidara]] and brought back to one of their secret hideouts, Pain assembled the other members of the Akatsuki where they extracted and sealed theOne-Tail.

+

{{main|Akatsuki SuppressionMission}}

+

Following the captures of the [[Two-Tails]] and [[Three-Tails]] (the Three-Tails is captured later in the anime), Pain once again gathers Akatsuki to seal them. Because Pain's summons interrupted a fight he was in the middle of, [[Hidan]], the second-newest member, demands an explanation of Akatsuki's ultimate goal. Pain obliges him, remarking on the state of the world and how Akatsuki plans to capitalise on that to take control.

−

=== HidanandKakuzu Arc ===

+

=== ItachiPursuitMission ===

−

After[[YugitoNii]] was captured by [[Hidan]] and [[Kakuzu]], Pain led the members of Akatsuki in sealing the [[Three-Tails]] and extracting the [[Two-Tails]].

+

{{main|ItachiPursuitMission}}

+

Before Akatsuki prepares to seal the [[Four-Tails]], Pain informs its members of the deaths of Hidan and [[Kakuzu]], as well as news that Sasuke Uchiha has killed Orochimaru. Shortly after the Four-Tails is sealed, [[Zetsu]] reports the deaths of Deidara and [[Tobi]] in a fight with Sasuke. Pain expresses no love lost over Tobi, but encourages the remaining members of Akatsuki to mourn Deidara. As soon as they adjourn, Pain and Konan meet with Tobi in Amegakure. Tobi instructs him to go after [[Naruto Uzumaki]], the [[jinchūriki]] of the [[Nine-Tails]].

−

=== ItachiPursuitArc ===

+

=== TaleofJiraiya the Gallant ===

−

[[File:RainTigerat Will Technique.PNG|thumb|right|Pain stopping the rain in Amegakure.]]

+

{{main|TaleofJiraiya the Gallant}}

−

[[Jiraiya]],Nagato'sformermaster,enters the village through a frog. The moment Jiraiya fully releases himself from the frog, Pain feels ''a disturbance'' in the rain.Painorders [[Konan]] to search for the intruder, and stops the rain. As Konan transforms into many pieces of paper, and folds herself into butterfly-like figures, Pain switches from the [[Yahiko|Deva Path]] to the [[First Animal Path (character)|Animal Path]]. Once the process was complete, he departed to search for Jiraiya as well.

Before he can set out in search of Naruto, Pain senses an intruder arriving in Amegakure. He cannot identify who it is, but from their chakra signature he can tell they are powerful. He sends Konan to track down whoever it is while he deploys the [[Animal Path]]. A short while later, Konan sends a report that the intruder is [[Jiraiya]]. Surprised, Pain bids her to kill him if she can while he moves the Animal Path to intercept. On arrival, he frees Konan from the restraints Jiraiya has placed her under and sends her away. Although Jiraiya does not recognise the body, Jiraiya assumes that Pain is Nagato because of his [[Rinnegan]]. Jiraiya expresses his disappointment that Nagato has turned away from his once-righteous path towards peace by leading a criminal organisation like Akatsuki. Pain asserts that, as a god, his plan to liberate the world through destruction is the definition of righteousness.

−

Jiraiya, now [[Toad Flatness — Shadow Manipulation Technique|hidden inside of a body]], heads more into [[Amegakure]], and Konan catches him. Jiraiya comesout of the body, and begins to battle Konan. Konan ends up being covered in oil; unable to battle. Pain comes to Konan's rescue and cleans off the oil with foam with his [[Summoning Technique]]. Pain then summons a [[Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon|chameleon]], and camouflages himself. Jiraiya sets off the [[Barrier: Canopy Method Formation]], after summoning the "''clumsy''" toad: [[Gamaken]]. Pain summons again, but this time, a [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog|multi-headeddog]].Jiraiyahas a very hard time fighting these as it would escape most of Gamaken's attacks, and somewhat regenerate. Jiraiya finishes off the dogs by trapping them in a toad's stomach and digesting them. Pain then summons a [[Giant Drill-Beaked Bird|drill-beaked bird]]. The bird follows Jiraiya and makes many attempts to kill him, though fails and ends up getting burned. Pain then summons a [[Giant Rhino|rhino]], though it quickly gets finished off by Gamaken. Pain then summons a [[giant ox]], and manages to ''hit'' Jiraiya. The shield set off by Jiraiya self-destructs, sending the ox flying. Soon after defeating the ox, he completes his Sage Mode activation and summons [[Fukasaku]] and [[Shima]]. They both easily dispose of the chameleon, revealing the Animal Path. The [[Preta Path (character)|Preta Path]] and the [[Human Path (character)|Human Path]] are both summoned, in order to face Jiraiya.

In response to all of the Animal Path's [[Summoning Technique|summons]], Jiraiya summons [[Gamaken]] to hold them off while he prepares himself. From the safety of his [[Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon|chameleon]], Pain sends a [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog|multi-headed dog]], [[Giant Drill-Beaked Bird|drill-beaked bird]], and [[giant ox]] at them, but Jiraiya is able to successfully enter [[Sage Mode]] with the help of [[Shima]] and [[Fukasaku]]. Shima locates and neutralises the chameleon, forcing Pain to summon the [[Preta Path]] and [[Human Path]] to the fray. Jiraiya quickly blinds the Human Path then attacks with [[Sage Art: Goemon]], which the Preta Path absorbs. He makes separate attempts to attack the Human Path and Animal Path from behind, but both block him. Suspecting their shared vision, Jiraiya withdraws.

The three Paths pursue Jiraiya. They eventually hear the signing of Shima and Fukasaku as they ready a [[genjutsu]].ThePathstrack them down and try to stop them, but Jiraiya is ready for them. After confirming that they do indeed share vision, Jiraiya distracts the Preta Path and immobilises the Human Path, allowing him to fight the Animal Path one-on-one long enough for Shima and Fukasaku to cast [[Toad Confrontation Singing]]. While the Paths are caught, Jiraiya stabs them with [[Stone Swords]] and believes they, and by extension Nagato, are dead. As he leaves, the [[Asura Path]] attacks him from behind, severing his arm. The full [[Six Paths of Pain]] – with the three he defeated restored by the [[Naraka Path]] – face Jiraiya. He recognises the [[Deva Path]] as [[Yahiko]], causing him to question his assumption that Pain is Nagato.

−

The Human Path attempts to kill Jiraiya, though it gets blinded by Jiraiya's kick to its head. Jiraiya then attempts to burn all three Paths with [[Sage Art: Goemon]], though it gets absorbed by the Preta Path. Jiraiya then uses [[Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan]], though it also gets absorbed. The Human Path attacks once again, and blinded, blocks Jiraiya's punch. The Animal Path gets distracted by a toad, and gets attacked by Jiraiya's [[Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon]]. The Animal Path blocks the attack by summoning a [[giant panda]]. Jiraiya analyses their attacks, and escapes into the pipes. While in the pipes, he concludes that [[genjutsu]] will give him an opening against the Rinnegan.

−

[[File:Jiraiya killed by Pain.JPG|thumb|right|Nagato's Six Paths of Pain finishing off Jiraiya.]]

+

[[File:Jiraiya killed by Pain.png|thumb|Pain finishes off Jiraiya.]]

−

ThePathsthenfollowed Jiraiya,andwhiledoingso, getcaughtin[[DemonicIllusion:ToadConfrontationChant|genjutsu]]. Jiraiya thendestroythePaths.AsJiraiyaleaves, helets his guarddown.Oneof the Pathsmanages to sneakupbehindhim, and removeshisarm. The otherpathscometogether,including the onesthatgotkilled(whichwererejuvenatedby the [[NarakaPath(character)|Naraka Path]]).JiraiyamanagestokilltheAnimalPath,thoughendsupbeingbrutallykilledinturn.As Jiraiya sinks into the deep depths of the sea, Pain holds a moment of silence in respect for his former master.

+

Afteraprolongedbattle, Jiraiya retreatsintohis[[Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison]]. The Animal Path follows him, butendsupgettingcaptured;asitslast act it stabs him with a [[chakra receiver]]. Jiraiya contemplatesreturningtoKonohawithwhat he'slearned, butdecides this is his onlychancetodiscover the secret of Pain. Hereturns to thebattlefieldwithFukasaku and draws the remaining Paths' attention, and indoing so figures itout. The AsuraPathcrusheshisthroat before he can tell Fukasaku what he's learned and the otherPathsstabhim.Believinghimdeadthey start to leave, but Jiraiya uses the last of his energy to [[FingerCarvingSeal|etch]] acodedmessageintoFukasaku'sback.ThePathstrytostophim,butFukasakuescapesand Jiraiya's body sinks into the sea. Pain holds a moment of silence for his passing.

+

{{-}}

−

=== TsuchigumoKinjutsu Arc ===

+

=== Six-TailsUnleashed ===

−

{{Main|TsuchigumoKinjutsu Arc}}

+

{{Main|Six-TailsUnleashed}}

−

In the anime, after getting a replacement for the Animal Path, Pain is shown to have been assigned to capture the [[Six-Tails]], which was sealed within [[Utakata]], a [[missing-nin]] from [[Kirigakure]]. During his search, the Animal Path had his [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog]] scout the area, where it found and killed a group of Kirigakure [[hunter-nin]] led by [[Tsurugi]]. When Utakata later sought out Tsurugi and his men to turn himself in, he instead found Pain;Pain told Utakata that he would be needed to create his world, and informed the jinchūriki that he would be taking the Six-Tails.The Six Paths of Pain quicklycaptured him and then later extracted the beast.

Pain replaces the Animal Path Jiraiya captured with a new body in preparation for finally going after Naruto. In the anime, he is first sent to [[Kirigakure]] to capture the [[Six-Tails]]. The new Animal Path summons the multi-headed dog to scout the area where the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, [[Utakata]], was last seen. When it comes across a group of [[hunter-nin]] led by [[Tsurugi]], it slaughters them all. Utakata eventually comes looking for Tsurugi, but instead finds Pain, who quickly captures him. The Six-Tails is later extracted from Utakata's body.

+

{{-L}}

−

=== Invasion of Pain Arc ===

+

=== Pain'sAssault ===

−

{{see also|Invasionof Pain}}

+

{{main|Pain'sAssault(Arc)|l1=Pain's Assault}}

−

With only the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails remaining, Pain andKonan set out for Konoha. After eliminating the border guards upon their arrival, they infiltrated the village and dispersed, with each of the six Paths havinga specific task: the Asura, Preta, and Animal Paths served as diversions, while the Deva, Human, and Naraka Paths and Konan in charge of reconnaissance. While exploring and laying waste to the village and its inhabitants, the Deva Path was confronted by [[Kakashi Hatake]]. The Asura Path came to its aid and together they overwhelmed Kakashi and his allies, but the Asura Path was destroyed.

The Six Paths of Pain and Konan arrive on the outskirts of Konoha and eliminate all the border guards. Pain explains the plan of attack: the Asura, Animal, and Preta Paths will destroy the village's infrastructure and draw the attention of its ninja while Konan and the Deva, Human, and Naraka Paths try to find information on Naruto's location. The Animal Path infiltrates the village by itself so that Konoha's sensors will think there's only one intruder, and once inside it summons Konan and the others. They scatter immediately afterwards and begin fulfilling their assigned roles.

−

[[File:PainatKonoha.png|thumb|left|Pain preparing to destroyKonoha.]]

+

[[File:KakashivsPain.png|thumb|left|Pain fightingKakashi.]]

−

Across the village,theremainingPathscontinuedtheirtasks, fightingwhateverKonohaninjatheycameacross. The Deva Path metwith[[Tsunade]], the Fifth[[Hokage]],whorefusedtorevealNaruto's location. Elsewhere, the [[Human Path (character)|Human Path]]useditsunique[[MindReading|interrogationtechnique]]on [[Shizune]] to learn that Naruto was at [[MountMyōboku]].DeclaringthathewouldteachTsunade the painthatKonohahadbeensoignorantof,NagatohadtheDevaPathuse [[Shinra Tensei]] toobliteratethevillagewhileKonan and the other Paths withdrew.

+

Early in the DevaPath'ssearchitisfoundby [[Kakashi Hatake]], whohasguessedthemisdirectionPainis employing. Knowing by reputation that Kakashi poses a threat to Akatsuki's plans, the Asura Path arrives to help the Deva Path fighthim.The two nearly defeat Kakashi, but Konoha reinforcements arrive in time. Kakashi has already discovered the rechargetimetheDevaPathneedsbetween attacks and coordinates Konoha's forces to create a window for him to strike. The Asura Path uses itself as a shield to take the attack, creating an opportunity for the Deva Path to level everything and everyone in the area. The Deva Path leaves,victorious.Afterit'sgone,abadly-injured Kakashi sends [[Chōji Akimichi]] to the [[FifthHokage]] totellherwhatthey'velearned about the DevaPath.Thestill-functioningAsuraPathattemptstostopChōji,butinterceptsitwith [[Kamui]] intime,dyingfromexhaustionin the process.

−

As the smoke cleared, the Deva Path found that Naruto had returned with his [[toad]]allies.In retaliation for the village's destruction, Naruto swiftly crushed the newly-restored Asura Path and began his fight with the remaining Paths of Pain.The Animal Path called upon its summons to attackNaruto, who parried them with the aid of his toads and proceeded to defeat the Preta Path. Soon afterwards, Naruto eliminated the Human Path with his [[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken]], and then teamed up with [[Gamabunta]] to defeat the Animal Path.

Across the village, the remaining Paths continue their tasks: the Preta Path locates the Animal Path that Jiraiya captured and collects its chakra receivers; the Deva Path locates the Hokage and encourages her to surrender Naruto; the Animal Path assaults the building where a [[Yūdachi|prisoner]] Jiraiya captured is being interrogated, killing him in the process; the Human Path discovers [[Shizune]] and, from reading her mind, finally learns that Naruto is at [[Mount Myōboku]]. Though their mission is complete, Pain is frustrated by the Hokage's refusal to cooperate. Combined with the numerous examples that Konoha's ninja are starting to understand how the Six Paths of Pain work, Pain decides to destroy the village and show it true pain. He has the Animal Path summon Konan and all but the Deva Path to a safe distance while the Deva Path performs a large-scale [[Shinra Tensei]].

−

[[File:Narutopindown.png|thumb|Pain pins Naruto down.]]

+

As the smoke clears, the Deva Path finds Naruto has arrived in the village with several [[toad]]allies. After the Naraka Path restores the Asura Path, the other Paths join the Deva Path; Konan withdraws to attend toNagato. When the Hokage angrily confronts Pain for destroying the village, the Asura Path moves to kill her, but is destroyed by Naruto before it can land a blow. The remaining Paths take formation around the Deva Path during its prolonged recharge. The Animal Path sends its summons to attack Naruto, but the toads confront them instead. Using Sage Mode, Naruto quickly [[Frog Kata|neutralizes]] the Preta Path, the Human Path is destroyed getting the Animal Path out of the way of Naruto's [[Rasenshuriken]], and the Animal Path is shortly afterwards trapped within [[Gamabunta]]'s mouth and defeated with [[Spiralling Serial Spheres]].

−

With four of the Paths gone, the temporarily powerless Deva Path protected the Naraka Path, which restored the Preta Path. The Preta Path [[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal|absorbed]] a second Rasenshuriken, but it had only been a diversion to give Naruto an opportunity to finish off the Naraka Path. The Deva Path, its power returned, detained Naruto so that the Preta Path could capture him and absorbed his chakra to immobilise him. Doing so caused it to absorb [[senjutsu]] chakra, which had the side effect of turning it to stone. Naruto escaped its clutches, but was seized once again by the Deva Path, who pinned him to the ground with chakra disruption blades. The Deva Path lectured Naruto about the chain of hatred, pain, suffering, and war that the ninja system brought to the world, and how he planned to use the [[tailed beasts]]' power to achieve peace and end conflict. He asks if Naruto can think of a better solution, but Naruto does not respond.

−

Before the Deva Path could take Naruto away, [[HinataHyūga]]came to his defence. When she is apparently killed, Naruto became enraged and entered his [[Naruto Uzumaki's Jinchūriki Forms#Six-Tailed Form|six-tailed form]], with which the Deva Path could not compete in its current condition. The Deva Path retreated to a location closer to Nagato, who had secluded himself nearby in order to control the Six Paths of Pain.This allowed the Deva Path to use [[Chibaku Tensei]], trapping Naruto in a massive orb of earth and debris. This victory was short-lived, as Naruto soon progressed to an [[Naruto Uzumaki's Jinchūriki Forms#Eight-Tailed Form|eight-tailed form]] and broke free of the Chibaku Tensei. Realising that he would have to make the sphere larger, it suddenly began to crumble and Naruto, reverting to his normal form, emerged from the ruins.

+

[[File:Narutopindown.png|thumb|left|Pain pins Naruto down.]]

+

Naruto begins focusing on the Deva Path. He nearly succeeds in hitting it with another Rasenshuriken, but a restored Preta Path absorbs it. Seeing what the Naraka Path can do, Naruto prioritises it, distracting the Deva and Preta Paths while he hits it with another Spiralling Serial Spheres. Although the Naraka Path is gone, the Deva Path's powers are restored. It expels the larger toads from the village and helps the Preta Path capture Naruto. As the Preta Path absorbs his [[senjutsu]] chakra to immobilise him, it finds itself unable to balance the [[natural energy]] and turns to stone. Shima and Fukasaku, meanwhile, prepare to cast a genjutsu like they did before. The Deva Path kills Fukasaku and, in the same motion, pins Naruto down with chakra receivers.

−

[[File:Twostudents.png|thumb|left|Nagato and Konanmeet Naruto.]]

+

With Naruto no longer able to offer resistance, Pain lectures him on the cycle of hatred the world suffers under and the endless conflict that produces. His plans to gather the [[tailedbeasts]] will be used to cause overwhelming destruction and achieve peace through fear. Because peace is what Jiraiya, who both of them trained under, always wanted, Pain asks if Naruto has a better solution, but Naruto does not respond. As they talk, Pain is attacked by [[Hinata Hyūga]], who makes a desperate attempt to save Naruto. The Deva Path deals with her easily and apparentlykills her. Her seeming death enrages Naruto, causing him to enter a [[version 2]] state. Unprepared to fight Naruto in this state, the Deva Path leads Naruto closer to Nagato's location so that it can use [[Chibaku Tensei]]. Naruto enters a nearly full [[Tailed Beast Mode]] and escapes its confines, forcing Pain to let the Chibaku Tensei dissolve.

−

Reflecting on the earlier lecture, Naruto demanded an opportunity to speak with Nagato, but was denied and attacked by the Deva Path. After failing to use Wind Release: Rasenshuriken twice, by taking advantage of the five second gap between the Deva Path's ability, Naruto was able to defeat it with a well-timed [[Rasengan]]. He removed one of its [[chakra receiver]] and inserted it into his skin to track the signal back to Nagato. Naruto goes to see him, but when he arrives Nagato fires another chakra receiver at him to try and control him. Naruto resists it despite his close proximity to Nagato. Although angry with Nagato for killing Jiraiya and destroying Konoha, Naruto asks how, as a fellow student of Jiraiya, he could have strayed so far from their master's teachings. Hoping that Naruto would come to agree with his solution for peace, Nagato told him his past, of his two great sorrows and how he came to believe pain would save the world.

−

Although Naruto agreedwithNagato's ultimate conclusion, he rejected it for differing with Jiraiya's ideals. In doing so, he answered Nagato's earlier question about how to attain peace: by "breaking the cycle of hatred".Hedecided not to attempt to kill Nagato, as that would only perpetuate the cycle of revenge.

+

[[File:Naruto defeatingDevapath.png|thumb|Narutodefeats the last of theSixPaths of Pain.]]

+

Having regained his senses, Naruto attacks the Deva Path. He takes one of its chakra receivers and briefly interfaces with it in order to trace Nagato's location. As his attack continues, he has numerous disguised [[shadow clone]]s emerge from the rubble of Chibaku Tensei and attack during the Deva Path's short cooldown, but they don't make it in time and it repels them. With so many clones, however, the Narutos are able to resist the Shinra Tensei, enabling Naruto to strike with a [[Rasengan]]. Now that all of his Six Paths are defeated, Nagato permits Naruto to come meet with him. He shoots Naruto with a chakra receiver as soon as he arrives and tries to control his body, but Naruto successfully resists him.

−

[[File:NagatoDeathSmile.jpg|thumb|Nagato dyingwithasmile.]]

+

[[File:Narutomeetsnagato.png|thumb|left|Nagato andKonanmeetNaruto.]]

−

AmazedbyNaruto'sresolveandrememberingJiraiya'steachings,NagatodecidedtoputhisfaithinNaruto'sanswerandusedthe[[OuterPath:SamsaraofHeavenlyLifeTechnique]] to revivealltheKonohagakurecitizenskilledduringhisinvasionatthecostofhislife, causing his red-hairtoturnpurewhitedue to theoverexertion. Withhisfinalbreath,dyingwithasmileon his face, NagatowishedforNaruto'sdreamof peace to cometrueand,inregardtoboth the youthand[[TheTaleoftheUtterlyGutsyShinobi|theirmentor'sbook]], feltitwaslike"''theworkofatruegod''".

+

Narutohasbeenthinkingaboutthequestionhewasaskedearlier,abouthowhewouldaccomplishpeace.Hethinkshehasananswerfinally,butfirstwants to hearmoreaboutNagato,especiallysincetheybothtrainedunderJiraiyayetturnedoutvery differently. Curious, Nagato indulges him and tells him about the tragedies he experienced in his lifeandhowtheydrovehim to seekpeace through pain. NarutounderstandsNagato'slogicandevenseessomemerit to his conclusion, butrejectsit.Hismethodto achieve peace is to nolongercontinuethecycleofrevenge that fuels the shinobiworld.AlthoughheisangrywithNagatoforkillingJiraiya and destroying Konoha, Narutowillnotharmhim,asthatwouldonlycause others to seek revenge against him and repeat the cycle.

+

+

[[File:Nagato's Death.png|thumb|Nagato dying with a smile.]]

+

Nagato is amazed by Naruto's answer, and is reminded of not only Jiraiya but himself when he was younger. He does not know if Naruto's solution can succeed, but Nagato decides that he will place his faith in it. As a sign of this faith, Nagato uses [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] over Konan's protests to revive everyone that died during his attack. As his life fades from performing the technique, Nagato cautions Naruto over the challenges he will face on the path he has chosen, but wishes him all possible luck. Nagato dies with a smile on his face, wondering if perhaps all the circumstances that led him to this end were the work of a real god.

{{-}}

{{-}}

−

=== Chikara Arc ===

+

=== Power ===

−

{{Main|Chikara Arc}}

+

{{Main|Power(Arc)|l1=Power}}

−

In the anime, Nagato is summoned by Kabuto to battle [[TeamKakashi]],whoareinvestigatingthemassacrethathebroughtabout in [[TheHole]]. Quicklyafterbeingsummoned,Nagato'scoffin vanisheswith Kabuto questioning if the Impure World Reincarnation is incomplete.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 290</ref>

+

In the anime, [[KabutoYakushi]] [[Summoning:ImpureWorldReincarnation|reincarnates]]Nagatotobeusedagainst [[Team7]]. Thesummonfailsalmostimmediatelyafterwards,causing Kabuto to wonder if the Impure World Reincarnation was still incomplete.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 290</ref>

−

=== ConfiningtheJinchūrikiArc ===

+

=== FourthShinobiWorldWar: Countdown ===

−

Inanattemptto both impede Tobi and coerce him into joining forces during their initial encounter, [[Kabuto Yakushi]] demonstrated his capabilities by reincarnating many of the deceased members of Akatsuki, including Nagato, using [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation]]. Despite appearing almost exactly in the same condition as the time of his death — visibly emaciated and with white hair — he lacked the chakra transmitters that were formerly embedded into his back.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 489, pages 18-20</ref>

+

{{main|FourthShinobiWorldWar: Countdown}}

−

{{-}}

+

When the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]] looms, Kabuto approaches Tobi offering to join forces. To that end he reincarnates Nagato and four other dead members of Akatsuki as offerings for Tobi's war plans.

−

=== Shinobi World War Arc ===

+

=== Fourth Shinobi World War:Confrontation ===

−

[[File:Itachi and Nagato.png|thumb|left|NagatoandItachienroute.]]

+

{{main|FourthShinobiWorldWar:Confrontation}}

−

Mobilised alongside [[Itachi]]as the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]] against the [[Allied Shinobi Forces]] commenced, Nagato though reincarnated was still unable to fully use his feet and as such was initially carried upon [[Kakuzu]]'s back. Later supported by Itachi,the now-isolated pair walked throughout the night, conversing about [[Akatsuki]] and how they both were and continued to be used simply because of their powerful [[dōjutsu]]. After pausing at a shrine and discussing [[Kabuto]]'s influence on [[Tobi]]'s plan, they march onwards till dawn, when they encountered [[Naruto]] and [[Killer B]]. Detecting their presence, Nagato noted a nostalgic feeling, before lamenting having to fight Naruto again.

+

[[File:Itachi and Nagato.png|thumb|left|Nagato and Itachi mobilized.]]

+

When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Nagato is mobilised with the rest of Kabuto's collection of reincarnated ninja. Still unable to move even in his reincarnated state, Nagato is carried by Itachi Uchiha. They discuss Akatsuki and how little they, particularly Nagato, actually knew about the organisation; both were only pawns kept by Tobi because of their [[dōjutsu]], and now they've been revived so Kabuto can use them for the same reason. Nagato is at least able to sense where Kabuto is controlling them from, which he communicates to Itachi.

Pleasedtoseehimnonetheless,hecongratulatedhis fellow disciple on gaining control of the [[Nine-TailedDemon Fox]] andovercominghishatred.Astheyattackedinvoluntarily,Nagatowarned them of Itachi'simpending assault, beforebeingshockedattherevelationofthetruthbehindthe[[Uchihaclanmassacre]].Using[[Banshō Ten'in]] to drawbothNarutoandahugerocktowardsoneanother,hemarvelledatNarutobeingabletodeflecttheattack.Remarkingthatthedistancebetweenthemwasgoodashehadlimitedmobility,Nagatojokinglyretractsthis,after[[SummoningTechnique|summoning]]his[[GiantMulti-HeadedDog|dog]]and[[GiantDrill-BeakedBird|bird]].Asthey clashed, Nagatotold Naruto to attack him insteadofthesummons,because the dogwouldjustcontinually[[AmplificationSummoningTechnique|multiplywhenstruck]].

+

NagatoandItachiarefoundbyNarutoand [[KillerB]].NagatoisgladtoseeNarutohasfinallygainedcontrol of theNine-Tails, butisnotactuallysurprisedsincetheybothtrainedunderJiraiya.KabutoforcesNagatoandItachi to attackthem,withNagatosummoningvariousanimalstohelphimmovearound.Becausetheirpersonalitiesareintact,NagatogivesNarutoandBadviceabouthowtocounterhissummonsandjutsuandwarnsthemaboutItachi'sown.Itachiisabletoimplementa fail-safeheleftonNarutobeforehisdeath, whichfrees him fromKabuto'scontrol.Fearfulthat the samemayhappentoNagato,Kabutosuppresseshispersonality.

−

−

After a [[Itachi's Crow|crow]] emerged from Naruto's mouth and sensing a change in Itachi, Nagato warned Naruto that the latter was about to use [[Amaterasu]]. However, when his summon is attacked instead, Nagato discerned the crow's purpose but only after he himself was engulfed in black flames. Falling to the ground, he began to burn before later repelling the flames with Shinra Tensei.

WithKabutoerasinghisconsciousness,nowregeneratedandconcealed within his summoned[[GiantSnake-TailedChameleon|chameleon]]'smouth,Nagatounleashedalarge-scale Shinra Tensei on his opponents. Aiming to attack B amidstthedevastation,heisinstead struck by the former's [[KillerB'sJinchūrikiForms#Version2|Version 2]] [[Lariat]],butavoidsanysignificantinjuryby[[BlockingTechniqueAbsorptionSeal|absorbing]]B's[[chakra]]. ThischakrarevitalisedNagato's body, returning him to hisstateprior to being emaciatedby the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]].CastingBasideandwhilstNarutowasrestrainedbythestillinvisiblechameleon,heattempted to [[AbsorptionSoulTechnique|removethelatter's soul]].

[[File:Nagato Impaled.png|thumb|Nagato pierced by the Sword of Totsuka.]]

+

Needing to deal with all three at once, Kabuto has Nagato use Chibaku Tensei. Itachi, Naruto, and B simultaneously use their strongest long-range attacks to destroy the growing planetoid. As Nagato's attentions are distracted by its destruction, Itachi stabs him with Susanoo's [[Sword of Totsuka]], which also restores his consciousness to him. Nagato apologises to Naruto for not only this fight after death, but his actions during life, believing his story was unworthy of following Jiraiya's. He expresses his hope that Naruto's story will conclude so spectacularly that nobody will remember the disappointment of his own. He bids farewell as his body is sealed.

After Kabuto decided to confine the [[jinchūriki]]'sbodiesandsoulsseparately within the [[King of Hell]], Nagato halted B's attempt to save Naruto, using [[Asura Path|two additional arms]] grown from his shoulder. With the two restrained, he started charging a [[Asura Attack|powerful blast]], only to be separated from them through Itachi's intervention. Nagato then proceeded to use [[Chibaku Tensei]] but even this was stopped, when its central sphere was destroyed by the combined effort of their [[Yasaka Magatama|strongest]] [[Tailed Beast Ball|long-range]] [[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken|techniques]]. Impaled by Susanoo's [[Sword of Totsuka]] before the dust settled, Nagato apologised to Itachi as his consciousness returned. Taking this opportunity to impart his last words, he told Naruto that he was part of a trilogy that included [[Jiraiya]] — who was perfect, himself — whom he deemed a failed work, even his master can't acknowledge him, and finally Naruto — whom he asked to create a masterpiece so as to erase his wrongs. Bidding them farewell as the sword seals him, Nagato remarked that he was going to rejoin his teacher in the afterlife. With Nagato sealed, Kabuto cursed the fact that Nagato's mobility was hampered.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 552, pages 2-3</ref>

+

After the ImpureWorldReincarnationwasreleased, Nagato's soul returned to the afterlife.

WithNagato'sdeath,KonandefectedfromtheAkatsukiasshestatedthatshenolongerhadareasontoremainsincebothNagatoandYahikoweredead.ShetookNagato'sbody,andthat of Yahiko'sbacktoAmegakurewithherforburial.Bothoftheirbodiesweredressed in Akatsukimantles, and laidinalargebodyofflowerswithina [[NagatoandYahiko's Shrine|shrine]].BecauseNagatogavehislifetohelpNarutoachievepeace, KonanvowsAmegakure's allegiancetohiminthispursuit. ItwasalsoduetothisbattlethatNarutonotedthatheknewwhattruelosswas,andfromthesubsequentmeetingwith Nagato andKonanthatspurredNarutoon to findpeace in the world.

+

[[Tobi]]feelspersonallybetrayedwhenhelearnsthatNagatogavehislifetorevivethevillagersofKonoha,believingthe[[SamsaraofHeavenlyLifeTechnique]]shouldhavebeenreservedexclusivelyforhis[[Eye of theMoonPlan]].Heisalsoconfused,believingNagatotohavebeenveryfirm in hisconvictions and thusnotlikelytogiveupsowillingly.He tracks down [[Naruto]]not long afterNagato's deathandaskshimwhathecouldhavesaidtosway Nagato, butisunmoved by Naruto's claimthatNagatotrulydiddesire peace. WithNagatogone,Tobiisforcedtoseekouthiscorpseandtakehis[[Rinnegan]]tofulfilhisultimateplans.Whenhefinds Nagato smilingathim,heinterpretsit as Nagato continuing to mockhim even in death.

−

Tobiwassurprisedbynews of Nagato's deathand,moreso, his "betrayal",havingwanted Nagato to savetheSamsaraofHeavenlyLifeTechnique for him. HelaterconfrontedNarutoaboutthistofoundhowhecouldhaveswayedNagato.Narutoasserts that Nagatotrulydidaspiretobringingpeaceunlike Tobi,whoissolelyobsessedwithpower, despitehisambition being the sameas Nagato's.

+

[[Konan]]followedthroughwithNagato's change of heart, vowing hers and Amegakrue's cooperationwithNarutoin his future pursuits of peace.Shetakes Nagato's and Yahiko's bodies back to Amegakureandcreatesasecret[[Nagatoand Yahiko's Shrine|shrine]] for them, laying their bodies on beds of flowers. ShebreaksawayfromtheAkatsukithatTobihascorrupted,tryingtofightfortheideals that theorganisationoriginallyrepresented.Shetriestokill Tobi whenhecomeslookingfor Nagato'sRinnegan, onlytodie herself after being forced to reveal the locationof Nagato's body.

−

Soonafter,TobiarrivestoAmegakureandkillsKonan to getthe location of the shrine where Nagato is laid to rest.Statingthat hewas the {{Translation|"''ThirdSixPaths''"|三人目の六道|SanninmenoRikudō}},Tobitakes Nagato'sbodyinto the [[other dimension]]. Soon after, Tobi replaces the left Sharingan he lost from fighting Konan with one of Nagato's Rinnegan eyes. Later, during the[[Fourth Shinobi World War]], Tobi duplicates Nagato's [[Six Paths of Pain]]methodonthereincarnated[[Yugito]],[[Yagura]],[[Rōshi]],[[Han]],[[Utakata]],and [[Fū]] as his Six Paths of Pain. Nagato himself viewed the legacy he left behind as a poor one and hoped that Naruto, his fellow disciple would leave a better one that would erase his own.

+

NarutoisdeeplyaffectedbyhisencounterwithNagato, compelled to starttrying to achievepeaceandend the ongoingdesiresforrevengebetween ninja.Heforgives Nagato forall the missteps he took during hislife, thinking of himwithasahigharegardashethinksof [[Jiraiya]].

−

== VideoGames ==

+

== Inother media ==

+

=== Video Games ===

{{playable in}}

{{playable in}}

−

Nagatohimselfisonlyplayablein''[[NarutoShippūden:UltimateNinjaStorm3]]'',whileallotherappearances''Pain'' is playable. The [[Deva Path]] is playable in all of Pain's appearances with the remainingpathsallplayingrolesinhisattacks. The [[AsuraPath]]andfirst[[AnimalPath]] are playable in ''[[NarutoShippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes3]]''.

+

Inalmostalloftheabove-listedgames,itisoneormoreofthe[[SixPaths of Pain]] that is playable. Typically it is only the [[Deva Path]] that is playable, with the otherPathsappearingaspartofitsmoveset. The gamesthatNagatohimselfisactually playable in are ''[[UltimateNinjaStorm 3]]'' and ''[[Ultimate Ninja StormRevolution]]'', where his reincarnated, restored-mobility form is available.

In ''Naruto Hiden: Sha no Sho Character Official Data Book'', Kishimoto briefly explained the philosophy behind Pain's design, stating, "He's Akatsuki's leader, so he has to look fairly cool, but I still wanted him to look dangerous. Since his name is 'Pain', I decided to add some piercings to his body, like he's the kind of guy who would inflict pain upon himself". Notable among the few unused concept designs is a small sketch in which he appears to wear a partial face mask and feather, or horn-like accessories fitted to his forehead protector.

+

In ''[[Sha no Sho]]'', Kishimoto briefly explains the philosophy behind Pain's design, stating, "He's Akatsuki's leader, so he has to look fairly cool, but I still wanted him to look dangerous. Since his name is 'Pain', I decided to add some piercings to his body, like he's the kind of guy who would inflict pain upon himself". Notable among the few unused concept designs is a small sketch in which Pain appears to wear a partial mask and feather, or horn-like accessories fitted to his forehead protector.

−

−

When first appearing in the anime, Pain's eyes were depicted with an incorrect colour scheme where the two centre rings of the Rinnegan were coloured separate shades of grey, while the outermost ring was flesh-coloured, and the ring in between was white. Following his appearance in chapter 377 of the manga, which featured the first official colour illustration of his face, the colour scheme was corrected.

−

−

Several of Nagato's abilities were inspired by Buddhist beliefs and terminology, and he thought that enlightenment was reached through experiencing and understanding pain and suffering, similar to a path the Buddha took but then later rejected.

* "Nagato"means"long-lastinggate".HemaybenamedafterthefamousninjaFujibayashiNagatowho,inthe16thcentury,was considered to be one of three greatest Iga jōnin. The other two were Hattori Hanzō ([[Hanzō]]'s supposed namesake) and Momochi Sandayū ([[Zabuza Momochi]]'s supposed namesake).

−

* Asthecreatures Nagato summonedwiththeAnimalPathwerepiercedwithchakrareceivers,muchlikehisSixPathsofPain, itcouldbeassumedthattheywere also being controlled. Nagato was also able to see through their eyes.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 6</ref>

* Whenhewasyoung, [[Orochimaru]] offered to kill Nagato andhisfriendssotheywouldnot have to suffer the horrorsofwar(atleastanymorethan they already had), but many years later he let Orochimaru join [[Akatsuki]]. It is unknown if Orochimaru is aware that two of the three orphans he proposed to kill became hissuperiors.

+

* During[[KazekageRescueMission]], Nagato'sRinneganweredepictedwithwrongcolorsdue to the Rinnegannothavingbeenillustratedwithcolorsin the mangayet.

−

* Jiraiya stated that because Nagato manifested the Rinnegan he believed him to be the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths himself. This would later be proven false when it was revealed that the Rinnegan was surgically implanted into his sockets by Madara, instead of them being a natural manifestation.

* In keeping with his "God" theme, his theme-song is "Girei" — a haunting theme that consists of holy chanting.

* In keeping with his "God" theme, his theme-song is "Girei" — a haunting theme that consists of holy chanting.

−

* Nagato may be named after the famous ninja Fujibayashi Nagato who, in the 16th century was considered to be one of three greatest Iga jōnin. The other two being Hattori Hanzō ([[Hanzō]]'s supposed namesake) and Momochi Sandayū ([[Zabuza Momochi]]'s supposed namesake).

* According to the databook(s):

* According to the databook(s):

** His hobby was practising [[ninjutsu]].

** His hobby was practising [[ninjutsu]].

Line 171:

Line 170:

== Quotes ==

== Quotes ==

−

* (To [[Jiraiya]]) "''Peace… I don't know how to get there… but… but someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it!''"<ref> ''Naruto'' chapter 448, pages 6-7</ref>

+

* (To [[Jiraiya]]) "''Peace… I don't know how to get there… but… but someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it!''"<ref>Chapter 448, pages 6-7</ref>

* (To [[Akatsuki]]) "''We'rebothofthesamebreed,afterall…motivesforwar are of no concern. Religion, ideology,resources,land,grudges,love, or just because… No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start awar. Warwillneverceasetoexist…Reasons can be thought up after the fact. Human nature pursues strife.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter329, pages10</ref>

* (To [[Tsunade]]) "''Youthinkyou're the only ones who matter. You thinkyou can putoffdeath. But that peace made you foolish and thoughtless. Ifyoukillsomeone, someoneelsewillkillyou… this hatred binds ustogether. I want you to feel pain,tothinkaboutpain,to accept pain, to know pain.''"<ref>Chapter429, pages2-3</ref>

* (Lastwordsto[[Naruto]]beforedying) "''Dyingliketrash…neverendinghatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—''"<ref>Chapter449, pages 12-13</ref>

* (Lastwords to Naruto before being sealed) {{translation|"''Naruto…I'llbereturningtowhereourmasteris,so I can seeyourstory…If you ask me… You're the third part that concludestheseries…ThefirstpartwasJiraiya…Hewasflawless…But…Thesecondpartwas me,analmostcompletefailure… I couldn'tevengetourmaster to acknowledgeme…Endingtheseriesisthethirdpart… The final work will settle it all! Become such a masterpiece that that failure will be like it was cancelled altogether… Naruto!''"|「ナルト………オレは師匠の所へ戻ってお前の物語を見ておくと…するよ…オレから言わせりゃ…お前は三部作目の完結編だ…一部が自来也…完ペキだった…だが…二部作目ってのはたいがい駄作になるオレのようにな……師にも認めてもらってない……シリーズの出来ってのは三作目…完結編で決まる!駄作を帳消しにするぐらいの最高傑作になってくれよ…ナルト!」|"''Naruto… Ore wa shishō no tokoro modotte omae no monogatari o mite oku to… suru yo… Ore kara iwaserya… Omae was Anbusakume no kanketsuhen de… Ichibu ga Jiraiya… Kanpeki datta… Daga… Nibusakume tte no wa taigai dasaku ni naru ore no yō ni na…… Shi ni mo mitomete morattenai ……Shirīzu no deki tte no wa sansakume… Kanketsuhen de kimaru! Dasaku o chōkeshi ni suru gurai no saikō kessaku ni natte kure yo… Naruto!''"}}<ref>Chapter551, page16</ref>

−

* (To [[Naruto]]) "''I see… That is noble of you. That is justice indeed. However… My family… My friends… My village… They suffered the same fate as this village by you ninja of Konoha. How is it fair to allow only you people to preach about peace and justice?''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 437, pages 7-8</ref>

* (To Naruto) "''We are both but men, driven to seek vengeance under the banner of justice. However… if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will breed only more vengeance… thus forging more links in a chain of hatred.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 436, page 10</ref>

−

* (To Naruto) "''If you don't share someone's pain, you can never understand them. But just because you understand them doesn't mean you can come to an agreement. That's the truth.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 441, page 9 </ref>

−

* (To Naruto) "''You and I are no different. We each act according to our own sense of justice. The justice I have meted out against Konoha is no different than what you are trying to mete out against me.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 436, page 9</ref>

−

* (To Naruto) "''You are an odd kid… You remind me of myself when I was young… I couldn't believe in what Jiraiya believed in… nor believe in myself… but you chose a different path. In you I can see another future. I… will believe in you…''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 448, pages 16-17</ref>

−

* (Last words to Naruto before dying) "''Dying like trash… never ending hatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 449, pages 12-13</ref>

−

* (Last words to Naruto before being sealed) {{translation|"''Naruto… I'll be returning to where our master is, so I can see your story… If you ask me… You're the third part that concludes the series… The first part was Jiraiya… He was flawless… But… The second part was me, an almost complete failure… I couldn't even get our master to acknowledge me… Ending the series is the third part… The final work will settle it all! Become such a masterpiece that that failure will be like it was cancelled altogether… Naruto!''"|「ナルト………オレは師匠の所へ戻ってお前の物語を見ておくと…するよ…オレから言わせりゃ…お前は三部作目の完結編だ…一部が自来也…完ペキだった…だが…二部作目ってのはたいがい駄作になるオレのようにな……師にも認めてもらってない……シリーズの出来ってのは三作目…完結編で決まる!駄作を帳消しにするぐらいの最高傑作になってくれよ…ナルト!」|"''Naruto… Ore wa shishō no tokoro modotte omae no monogatari o mite oku to… suru yo… Ore kara iwaserya… Omae wa sanbusakume no kanketsuhen de… Ichibu ga Jiraiya… Kanpeki datta… Daga… Nibusakume tte no wa taigai dasaku ni naru ore no yō ni na…… Shi ni mo mitomete morattenai ……Shirīzu no deki tte no wa sansakume… Kanketsuhen de kimaru! Dasaku o chōkeshi ni suru gurai no saikō kessaku ni natte kure yo… Naruto!''"}}<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 16</ref>

Nagato (長門, Nagato) was a member of Akatsuki from Amegakure. After being orphaned by war, Nagato helped form Akatsuki with the intention of promoting a peaceful end to warfare. However, his friend and leader, Yahiko, was later killed for preaching peace, resulting in Nagato losing hope in this approach. He adopted the alias of Pain (ペイン, Pein) and, while partnered with Konan, began leading a new Akatsuki, one that would sow despair in order to force the world to change its violent ways.

Contents

Nagato lived with his parents in a village on the outskirts of Amegakure. When he was very young, Madara Uchiha secretly transplanted his Rinnegan into Nagato without his or his parents' knowledge.[8] Sometime later, during the Second Shinobi World War, Nagato and his parents took shelter in their home to avoid the fighting going on around them. One day, two Konoha shinobi broke into their home looking for food and Nagato and his parents tried to sneak out unnoticed. When they were discovered, his parents attacked the shinobi so that Nagato could escape. The Konoha ninja killed his parents in self-defence and, upon realising they were only civilians, tried apologising to Nagato. Overcome with grief, Nagato used Madara's Rinnegan for the first time to kill them and avenge his parents.[9]

The orphans ask the Sannin to teach them ninjutsu.

After becoming an orphan and burying his parents, Nagato began wandering in search of food and shelter. With resources scare due to the ongoing war, none he met would help him until he was found by Konan and Yahiko, orphans like himself. They banded together, acquired food to survive through any means, and shared dreams of a future where they were in charge and could use their power to eliminate war. Yahiko was particularly passionate about this point, which inspired Nagato to adopt the same goal.[10] In order to accomplish this, the three would need to become ninja. With few options to choose from, they approached Konoha's Sannin and asked to be taught ninjutsu. Jiraiya, guilty over his participation in the war, offered to teach them how to look out for themselves.[11]

Jiraiya found a place for them to live and taught them how to fish, but he would not teach them ninjutsu. While the orphans were out one day, they were found and assaulted by an Iwagakurechūnin. Fearing for his friends' lives, Nagato used his Rinnegan to kill the Iwa-nin. When Jiraiya arrived on the scene to help them, he noticed Nagato's eyes for the first time and was reminded of the legends of the Sage of the Six Paths, the original possessor of the Rinnegan. Because of this, Jiraiya changed his mind and began teaching them ninjutsu.[12] Nagato was remorseful for killing the Iwa-nin, but Jiraiya convinced him that sometimes violence and personal pain was necessary to protect others. In time he even shared his belief that Nagato was the Sage of the Six Paths' reincarnation and that, like the original Sage, Nagato would use his Rinnegan to usher in a world of peace.

Nagato apart of the Akatsuki.

For three years Jiraiya trained the orphans. Nagato, because of his Rinnegan, mastered everything he was taught.[13] Once they were able to defeat one of his shadow clones in a fight, Jiraiya decided they were ready to forge out on their own and he returned to Konoha, confident they would bring reform to the country.[14] The three formed an organisation they called Akatsuki, with Yahiko as its leader, and began advocating an end to war. Their message proved popular and they gathered many followers;[15] even Jiraiya would sometimes hear news of their exploits.[16] During the Third Shinobi World War, their group was approached by a man calling himself "Madara Uchiha". He offered to help them in their pursuits and to show Nagato how to unlock the full potential of his Rinnegan but Yahiko refused the offer, suspecting he only meant to use them.[17]

Nagato wounded after summoning the statue.

Through out their quest for peace, Akatsuki's ranks swelled and became known throughout Amegakure, so much so that Hanzō, the village's leader, began to feel Akatsuki threatened his rule. He approached Akatsuki, offering to work together with them to help negotiate with the other warring villages. The next day, at a meeting to finalise the arrangement, Yahiko and Nagato were ambushed by Hanzō and his men, with support from Konoha's Danzō Shimura. Using Konan as a hostage, Hanzō threatened to kill her if Nagato did not kill Yahiko. Unwilling to let Nagato have that on his conscience, Yahiko killed himself, using his dying breath to state his faith that Nagato would change the world.[18] Enraged by Yahiko's death, Nagato took Konan back from Hanzō, though his legs were badly damaged in the process. He then summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and, upon linking with it, used it to slaughter Hanzō's men, though Hanzō himself escaped.[19]

Now crippled, Nagato turns Yahiko into the Deva Path.

Afterwards Nagato severed his ties with Amegakure by slashing the village's symbol on his forehead protector, no longer wishing to be affiliated with Hanzō's village. Following the damage he'd received from Hanzō and the Demonic Statue, it left Nagato's body frail and deprived him of mobility. Yahiko's death convinced Nagato that his philosophies about achieving peace were foolish; the world would never willingly end the cycle of death and hatred it had operated on for so long. Only through direct experience of war and all the losses and agonies it brought could anyone truly desire peace. Wanting Yahiko to still be the leader of the Akatsuki, he created a technique that turned his corpse into the Deva Path, and adopted the alias of Pain. Accepting Tobi's earlier offer of support, Nagato began recruiting S-rankmissing-nin into the Akatsuki and started offering its services as a mercenary group to ninja villages, earning the money necessary to fund its long-term plans.

Pain confronting Hanzō.

Years later and still loyal to his own version of Amegakure, Pain and Konan began a civil war in the village to overthrow Hanzō. Much of the villagers rallied behind him, believing him to be a god because of his immense power. Nagato eventually used his Six Paths of Pain to storm Hanzō’s tower and kill him alongside all his guards. In order to prevent anyone from challenging him, Pain proceeded to eliminate everyone even remotely connected to Hanzō, from members of his family to distant acquaintances.[20] Because of the villages secretive nature, news of Hanzō's death never made it outside of Amegakure and the village was believed to still be divided by the civil war. Pain embraced the villagers' idea of him being God, single-handedly crushing remnants loyal to Hanzō whenever they surfaced and ending Amegakure's perpetual rain every Sunday in homage to Yahiko.

Nagato was a sensitive child, prone to crying over the sufferings of himself and others. When he met Yahiko he tried to break this habit by following Yahiko's philosophy that crying wouldn't change anything, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Jiraiya later pointed out to him that his sensitivity was actually a strength, as it allowed him to understand pain better and, in turn, be kinder to others. This view resonated with Nagato and caused him to realise that he wanted to take on all of his friends' pain so that they wouldn't have to. It also finally succeeded in ending his crying; when Jiraiya left their group it was Yahiko who cried to see him go, while Nagato only thanked him for all the guidance he'd provided.

In one form or another, Nagato spent his entire life placing the needs of others before his own: his main motivation for becoming a ninja in the first place was so that he could protect Yahiko and Konan; he viewed his role in the original Akatsuki as a powerful tool meant to help Yahiko bring peace to their country; as leader of his own version of Akatsuki, he felt it was his responsibility to save the world from itself, inflicting pains of such magnitude that nobody would ever harm anyone else ever again. While this indicates a growing self-importance Nagato regarded himself with, it was encouraged by the similarly growing esteem others regarded him with due to his Rinnegan: Jiraiya believed he was the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths; Yahiko and the rest of Akatsuki believed he was the "Saviour of the World"; the villagers of Amegakure believed him "God".

As a child that grew up in the middle of other countries' wars, Nagato did not like killing and was horrified by his early acts of violence against those who had harmed his friends and family. He supported Yahiko's Akatsuki because it wanted to end the wars and deaths that he hated so much. After Yahiko's death, Nagato compromised his aversion to killing to a large extent, believing the deaths of specific individuals or even hundreds at a time could be justified if it served a greater and/or long-term purpose. But Nagato remains very clear in this distinction, as he shows mercy to those willing to cooperate with him and discourages others from defying him because it will only force him to strike them down. Minato Namikaze believes that, at some point along the way, Nagato's views were corrupted and subsequently manipulated by Tobi.[21]

Despite the number of personal changes Nagato went through during his life, he always remained fundamentally kind and respectful. With his fellow members of Akatsuki, he mourns those who die in the pursuit of Akatsuki's goals[22] and disapproves of name-calling amongst peers.[23] He extends similar courtesies to his opponents, being honoured to meet one so strong as Kakashi Hatake,[24] despite also being determined to kill Kakashi because that very same strength would inevitably interfere with Akatsuki's plans. For all his kindness, Nagato has a certain prejudice against Konoha because its ninja have played a role in a number of his life's tragedies. He tried to change this opinion because of Jiraiya's positive influence, but ultimately decided that Konoha's successes were predicated on the misfortunes of others.

Despite his conviction to Akatsuki's objective, Naruto ultimately made him reconsider and Nagato came to believe Jiraiya's goal to obtain peace was a trilogy to which Jiraiya was the perfect first novel. Nagato referred to himself as the failure second novel and with his last moments asked Naruto, the third novel to be so great it made the world forget the failure he was. This also showed Nagato has grown more humble, going from seeing himself as a god to a failure.

Despite Nagato having no problem killing Jiraiya and claiming to have no more love for him, Nagato still respected him and held a moment of silence as a sign of respect after killing him. After being persuaded by Naruto and reincarnated, Nagato regained love for Jiraiya and expressed excitement about going to see Jiraiya in the afterlife before he was sealed by Itachi.

Nagato has pale white skin with straight red hair, a colour owing to his Uzumaki heritage. When he was very young, his hair covered his eyes, preventing his Rinnegan from being visible. When he started training to be a ninja he parted his hair so that only his right eye was covered. After he performs Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique his hair turns white as a side-effect of the jutsu, and it remains white after he is reincarnated. His hair becomes red again when he absorbs some of the Eight-Tails' chakra. Linking with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path left a number of chakra receivers embedded in his back and caused his body to become very emaciated, limiting his mobility. For this reason he spends most of his adult life in a mechanical walker from which he controls the Six Paths of Pain. He likewise does not personally wear any of the typical Akatsuki clothing, having his Paths wear it instead.

Following his first fight with Hanzō, Nagato's legs were badly damaged and his body was left frail. This limited his mobility for the rest of his life and rendered his original body largely defenceless. He regained some of his former mobility after being reincarnated and taking some of the Eight-Tails' chakra. When not handicapped, Nagato was able to rapidly move around a battlefield, closing the gap between himself and his opponents fast enough to force them to retreat.[19]

Nagato's skill in so many types of ninjutsu was due in large part to his Rinnegan.[31] Though he was not the eyes' original owner, being an Uzumaki allowed Nagato to wield both eyes without drawbacks; his skill was great enough to earn recognition as the "Third Six Paths" (三人目の六道, Sanninme no Rikudō).[7]

The greatest advantage of the Rinnegan was the access it gave Nagato to all of the Six Paths Techniques: the gravitational powers of the Deva Path; the menagerie of summons available to the Animal Path; the limitless absorptive potential of the Preta Path; the control over others' souls with the Human Path; the different options of mechanisation in the Asura Path; access to the King of Hell through the Naraka Path. Because of the limitations of his real body, Nagato had few chances to use any of these abilities directly. When the opportunity arose, though, he could shift between the different Paths seamlessly and instantly, performing the many abilities on a level he wasn't capable of when using them through others.[32]

With the Outer Path, Nagato could form what he calls his "Six Paths of Pain". By embedding chakra receivers throughout the bodies of six corpses – arranged to resemble body piercings – Nagato was able to control all of them remotely as though they were his own. He could control the Paths across great distances, but for more chakra-demanding techniques, it was necessary for the Path to first be brought closer to his position. An alternative to this was cutting off control of five of the Paths and focusing all of his chakra into one. The Paths can be used to react to threats in mere seconds and, because they are corpses, the bodies are unfazed by all but the most debilitating types of damage.

In theory, each of the Six Paths of Pain could be used to perform any jutsu that Nagato was capable of. In practice, however, he limited each body to one branch of the Six Paths Techniques, the exception being the Deva Path through which he performed a number of miscellaneous jutsu. Each Path served a specific purpose, be it offensive, defensive, reconnaissance or repair. None of the Paths specifically specialised in taijutsu, but all were able to keep pace during hand-to-hand combat with even the most practised opponent. Though he considered all six Paths to be part of the Pain identity he gave himself, Nagato still regarded them as separate entities from himself, referring to them by whichever Path they embody.[34]

Nagato sacrificing one Path in order to save another.

Although the Six Paths were individually strong, they were at their most formidable when used together, with the simultaneous use of all six being the primary reason for Pain's infamous invincibility.[35] This was because the six Paths, as well as the Animal Path's summons and the King of Hell, share the same vision,[36] allowing Nagato to coordinate their movements with maximum efficiency. They could attack from multiple angles and dodge attacks they couldn't have seen but that occurred within another Path's field of vision. Each of the Paths had its own importance in a fight – the Naraka Path's ability to restore all the other Paths, making it the most valuable – and therefore, Nagato would sacrifice other Paths to protect those further up the hierarchy.

Despite the advantages the six bodies granted him in a fight, Nagato tried to limit his usage to as few bodies as possible to reduce the likelihood of anyone discovering the secret of how the Six Paths of Pain work. When Konoha began to understand the idiosyncrasies of the ability, he destroyed the village in an effort to kill anyone who might know that none of the six Paths were the real him.

Main article: In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths
In the anime, two years after the Akatsuki meeting, Amegakure is invited to participate in the Chūnin Exams being held jointly by Konohagakure and Sunagakure. Not ready to take Akatsuki public yet, Pain accepts the invitation and sends several teams of genin to keep up appearances.[37] The messenger, Kakashi Hatake, later sneaks back into the village to investigate the rumours surrounding it. Pain immediately detects Kakashi and sends guards to capture him, forcing him to retreat.[38]

Main article: Kazekage Rescue Mission
After Gaara is captured by Deidara and Sasori, Pain convenes Akatsuki to begin extracting the One-Tail from Gaara's body. Konoha ninja start to convene on their location during the three day process, so Pain uses the Shapeshifting Technique to send copies of Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha to distract them. The copies are defeated, but they buy the necessary time and the One-Tail is sealed. As the rest of Akatsuki disperses, Pain instructs Deidara and Sasori to deal with the Konoha ninja that have arrived outside their lair.

Main article: Akatsuki Suppression Mission
Following the captures of the Two-Tails and Three-Tails (the Three-Tails is captured later in the anime), Pain once again gathers Akatsuki to seal them. Because Pain's summons interrupted a fight he was in the middle of, Hidan, the second-newest member, demands an explanation of Akatsuki's ultimate goal. Pain obliges him, remarking on the state of the world and how Akatsuki plans to capitalise on that to take control.

Main article: Itachi Pursuit Mission
Before Akatsuki prepares to seal the Four-Tails, Pain informs its members of the deaths of Hidan and Kakuzu, as well as news that Sasuke Uchiha has killed Orochimaru. Shortly after the Four-Tails is sealed, Zetsu reports the deaths of Deidara and Tobi in a fight with Sasuke. Pain expresses no love lost over Tobi, but encourages the remaining members of Akatsuki to mourn Deidara. As soon as they adjourn, Pain and Konan meet with Tobi in Amegakure. Tobi instructs him to go after Naruto Uzumaki, the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.

Before he can set out in search of Naruto, Pain senses an intruder arriving in Amegakure. He cannot identify who it is, but from their chakra signature he can tell they are powerful. He sends Konan to track down whoever it is while he deploys the Animal Path. A short while later, Konan sends a report that the intruder is Jiraiya. Surprised, Pain bids her to kill him if she can while he moves the Animal Path to intercept. On arrival, he frees Konan from the restraints Jiraiya has placed her under and sends her away. Although Jiraiya does not recognise the body, Jiraiya assumes that Pain is Nagato because of his Rinnegan. Jiraiya expresses his disappointment that Nagato has turned away from his once-righteous path towards peace by leading a criminal organisation like Akatsuki. Pain asserts that, as a god, his plan to liberate the world through destruction is the definition of righteousness.

The Preta Path absorbs Jiraiya's attack.

In response to all of the Animal Path's summons, Jiraiya summons Gamaken to hold them off while he prepares himself. From the safety of his chameleon, Pain sends a multi-headed dog, drill-beaked bird, and giant ox at them, but Jiraiya is able to successfully enter Sage Mode with the help of Shima and Fukasaku. Shima locates and neutralises the chameleon, forcing Pain to summon the Preta Path and Human Path to the fray. Jiraiya quickly blinds the Human Path then attacks with Sage Art: Goemon, which the Preta Path absorbs. He makes separate attempts to attack the Human Path and Animal Path from behind, but both block him. Suspecting their shared vision, Jiraiya withdraws.

The three Paths pursue Jiraiya. They eventually hear the signing of Shima and Fukasaku as they ready a genjutsu. The Paths track them down and try to stop them, but Jiraiya is ready for them. After confirming that they do indeed share vision, Jiraiya distracts the Preta Path and immobilises the Human Path, allowing him to fight the Animal Path one-on-one long enough for Shima and Fukasaku to cast Toad Confrontation Singing. While the Paths are caught, Jiraiya stabs them with Stone Swords and believes they, and by extension Nagato, are dead. As he leaves, the Asura Path attacks him from behind, severing his arm. The full Six Paths of Pain – with the three he defeated restored by the Naraka Path – face Jiraiya. He recognises the Deva Path as Yahiko, causing him to question his assumption that Pain is Nagato.

Pain finishes off Jiraiya.

After a prolonged battle, Jiraiya retreats into his Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison. The Animal Path follows him, but ends up getting captured; as its last act it stabs him with a chakra receiver. Jiraiya contemplates returning to Konoha with what he's learned, but decides this is his only chance to discover the secret of Pain. He returns to the battlefield with Fukasaku and draws the remaining Paths' attention, and in doing so figures it out. The Asura Path crushes his throat before he can tell Fukasaku what he's learned and the other Paths stab him. Believing him dead they start to leave, but Jiraiya uses the last of his energy to etch a coded message into Fukasaku's back. The Paths try to stop him, but Fukasaku escapes and Jiraiya's body sinks into the sea. Pain holds a moment of silence for his passing.

Pain replaces the Animal Path Jiraiya captured with a new body in preparation for finally going after Naruto. In the anime, he is first sent to Kirigakure to capture the Six-Tails. The new Animal Path summons the multi-headed dog to scout the area where the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, Utakata, was last seen. When it comes across a group of hunter-nin led by Tsurugi, it slaughters them all. Utakata eventually comes looking for Tsurugi, but instead finds Pain, who quickly captures him. The Six-Tails is later extracted from Utakata's body.

The Six Paths of Pain and Konan arrive on the outskirts of Konoha and eliminate all the border guards. Pain explains the plan of attack: the Asura, Animal, and Preta Paths will destroy the village's infrastructure and draw the attention of its ninja while Konan and the Deva, Human, and Naraka Paths try to find information on Naruto's location. The Animal Path infiltrates the village by itself so that Konoha's sensors will think there's only one intruder, and once inside it summons Konan and the others. They scatter immediately afterwards and begin fulfilling their assigned roles.

Pain fighting Kakashi.

Early in the Deva Path's search it is found by Kakashi Hatake, who has guessed the misdirection Pain is employing. Knowing by reputation that Kakashi poses a threat to Akatsuki's plans, the Asura Path arrives to help the Deva Path fight him. The two nearly defeat Kakashi, but Konoha reinforcements arrive in time. Kakashi has already discovered the recharge time the Deva Path needs between attacks and coordinates Konoha's forces to create a window for him to strike. The Asura Path uses itself as a shield to take the attack, creating an opportunity for the Deva Path to level everything and everyone in the area. The Deva Path leaves, victorious. After it's gone, a badly-injured Kakashi sends Chōji Akimichi to the Fifth Hokage to tell her what they've learned about the Deva Path. The still-functioning Asura Path attempts to stop Chōji, but intercepts it with Kamui in time, dying from exhaustion in the process.

The Deva Path preparing to destroy Konoha.

Across the village, the remaining Paths continue their tasks: the Preta Path locates the Animal Path that Jiraiya captured and collects its chakra receivers; the Deva Path locates the Hokage and encourages her to surrender Naruto; the Animal Path assaults the building where a prisoner Jiraiya captured is being interrogated, killing him in the process; the Human Path discovers Shizune and, from reading her mind, finally learns that Naruto is at Mount Myōboku. Though their mission is complete, Pain is frustrated by the Hokage's refusal to cooperate. Combined with the numerous examples that Konoha's ninja are starting to understand how the Six Paths of Pain work, Pain decides to destroy the village and show it true pain. He has the Animal Path summon Konan and all but the Deva Path to a safe distance while the Deva Path performs a large-scale Shinra Tensei.

As the smoke clears, the Deva Path finds Naruto has arrived in the village with several toad allies. After the Naraka Path restores the Asura Path, the other Paths join the Deva Path; Konan withdraws to attend to Nagato. When the Hokage angrily confronts Pain for destroying the village, the Asura Path moves to kill her, but is destroyed by Naruto before it can land a blow. The remaining Paths take formation around the Deva Path during its prolonged recharge. The Animal Path sends its summons to attack Naruto, but the toads confront them instead. Using Sage Mode, Naruto quickly neutralizes the Preta Path, the Human Path is destroyed getting the Animal Path out of the way of Naruto's Rasenshuriken, and the Animal Path is shortly afterwards trapped within Gamabunta's mouth and defeated with Spiralling Serial Spheres.

Pain pins Naruto down.

Naruto begins focusing on the Deva Path. He nearly succeeds in hitting it with another Rasenshuriken, but a restored Preta Path absorbs it. Seeing what the Naraka Path can do, Naruto prioritises it, distracting the Deva and Preta Paths while he hits it with another Spiralling Serial Spheres. Although the Naraka Path is gone, the Deva Path's powers are restored. It expels the larger toads from the village and helps the Preta Path capture Naruto. As the Preta Path absorbs his senjutsu chakra to immobilise him, it finds itself unable to balance the natural energy and turns to stone. Shima and Fukasaku, meanwhile, prepare to cast a genjutsu like they did before. The Deva Path kills Fukasaku and, in the same motion, pins Naruto down with chakra receivers.

With Naruto no longer able to offer resistance, Pain lectures him on the cycle of hatred the world suffers under and the endless conflict that produces. His plans to gather the tailed beasts will be used to cause overwhelming destruction and achieve peace through fear. Because peace is what Jiraiya, who both of them trained under, always wanted, Pain asks if Naruto has a better solution, but Naruto does not respond. As they talk, Pain is attacked by Hinata Hyūga, who makes a desperate attempt to save Naruto. The Deva Path deals with her easily and apparently kills her. Her seeming death enrages Naruto, causing him to enter a version 2 state. Unprepared to fight Naruto in this state, the Deva Path leads Naruto closer to Nagato's location so that it can use Chibaku Tensei. Naruto enters a nearly full Tailed Beast Mode and escapes its confines, forcing Pain to let the Chibaku Tensei dissolve.

Naruto defeats the last of the Six Paths of Pain.

Having regained his senses, Naruto attacks the Deva Path. He takes one of its chakra receivers and briefly interfaces with it in order to trace Nagato's location. As his attack continues, he has numerous disguised shadow clones emerge from the rubble of Chibaku Tensei and attack during the Deva Path's short cooldown, but they don't make it in time and it repels them. With so many clones, however, the Narutos are able to resist the Shinra Tensei, enabling Naruto to strike with a Rasengan. Now that all of his Six Paths are defeated, Nagato permits Naruto to come meet with him. He shoots Naruto with a chakra receiver as soon as he arrives and tries to control his body, but Naruto successfully resists him.

Nagato and Konan meet Naruto.

Naruto has been thinking about the question he was asked earlier, about how he would accomplish peace. He thinks he has an answer finally, but first wants to hear more about Nagato, especially since they both trained under Jiraiya yet turned out very differently. Curious, Nagato indulges him and tells him about the tragedies he experienced in his life and how they drove him to seek peace through pain. Naruto understands Nagato's logic and even sees some merit to his conclusion, but rejects it. His method to achieve peace is to no longer continue the cycle of revenge that fuels the shinobi world. Although he is angry with Nagato for killing Jiraiya and destroying Konoha, Naruto will not harm him, as that would only cause others to seek revenge against him and repeat the cycle.

Nagato dying with a smile.

Nagato is amazed by Naruto's answer, and is reminded of not only Jiraiya but himself when he was younger. He does not know if Naruto's solution can succeed, but Nagato decides that he will place his faith in it. As a sign of this faith, Nagato uses Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique over Konan's protests to revive everyone that died during his attack. As his life fades from performing the technique, Nagato cautions Naruto over the challenges he will face on the path he has chosen, but wishes him all possible luck. Nagato dies with a smile on his face, wondering if perhaps all the circumstances that led him to this end were the work of a real god.

Main article: Power
In the anime, Kabuto Yakushireincarnates Nagato to be used against Team 7. The summon fails almost immediately afterwards, causing Kabuto to wonder if the Impure World Reincarnation was still incomplete.[39]

When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Nagato is mobilised with the rest of Kabuto's collection of reincarnated ninja. Still unable to move even in his reincarnated state, Nagato is carried by Itachi Uchiha. They discuss Akatsuki and how little they, particularly Nagato, actually knew about the organisation; both were only pawns kept by Tobi because of their dōjutsu, and now they've been revived so Kabuto can use them for the same reason. Nagato is at least able to sense where Kabuto is controlling them from, which he communicates to Itachi.

Nagato clashes with Naruto.

Nagato and Itachi are found by Naruto and Killer B. Nagato is glad to see Naruto has finally gained control of the Nine-Tails, but is not actually surprised since they both trained under Jiraiya. Kabuto forces Nagato and Itachi to attack them, with Nagato summoning various animals to help him move around. Because their personalities are intact, Nagato gives Naruto and B advice about how to counter his summons and jutsu and warns them about Itachi's own. Itachi is able to implement a fail-safe he left on Naruto before his death, which frees him from Kabuto's control. Fearful that the same may happen to Nagato, Kabuto suppresses his personality.

A revitalised Nagato removing Naruto's soul.

Itachi joins forces with Naruto and B against Nagato. Nagato hides within his chameleon so he can move around undetected and attacks B with Shinra Tensei. B immediately counters with a version 2 Lariat, which Nagato absorbs. The Eight-Tails' chakra he absorbs has a rejuvenating effect on him, restoring his mobility. He begins removing Naruto's soul, prepares to kill B, and readies the King of Hell to restore them to life when Kabuto is ready for them. Itachi interrupts him with Susanoo, releasing Naruto and B.

Nagato pierced by the Sword of Totsuka.

Needing to deal with all three at once, Kabuto has Nagato use Chibaku Tensei. Itachi, Naruto, and B simultaneously use their strongest long-range attacks to destroy the growing planetoid. As Nagato's attentions are distracted by its destruction, Itachi stabs him with Susanoo's Sword of Totsuka, which also restores his consciousness to him. Nagato apologises to Naruto for not only this fight after death, but his actions during life, believing his story was unworthy of following Jiraiya's. He expresses his hope that Naruto's story will conclude so spectacularly that nobody will remember the disappointment of his own. He bids farewell as his body is sealed.

Tobi feels personally betrayed when he learns that Nagato gave his life to revive the villagers of Konoha, believing the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique should have been reserved exclusively for his Eye of the Moon Plan. He is also confused, believing Nagato to have been very firm in his convictions and thus not likely to give up so willingly. He tracks down Naruto not long after Nagato's death and asks him what he could have said to sway Nagato, but is unmoved by Naruto's claim that Nagato truly did desire peace. With Nagato gone, Tobi is forced to seek out his corpse and take his Rinnegan to fulfil his ultimate plans. When he finds Nagato smiling at him, he interprets it as Nagato continuing to mock him even in death.

Konan followed through with Nagato's change of heart, vowing hers and Amegakrue's cooperation with Naruto in his future pursuits of peace. She takes Nagato's and Yahiko's bodies back to Amegakure and creates a secret shrine for them, laying their bodies on beds of flowers. She breaks away from the Akatsuki that Tobi has corrupted, trying to fight for the ideals that the organisation originally represented. She tries to kill Tobi when he comes looking for Nagato's Rinnegan, only to die herself after being forced to reveal the location of Nagato's body.

Naruto is deeply affected by his encounter with Nagato, compelled to start trying to achieve peace and end the ongoing desires for revenge between ninja. He forgives Nagato for all the missteps he took during his life, thinking of him with as a high a regard as he thinks of Jiraiya.

In Sha no Sho, Kishimoto briefly explains the philosophy behind Pain's design, stating, "He's Akatsuki's leader, so he has to look fairly cool, but I still wanted him to look dangerous. Since his name is 'Pain', I decided to add some piercings to his body, like he's the kind of guy who would inflict pain upon himself". Notable among the few unused concept designs is a small sketch in which Pain appears to wear a partial mask and feather, or horn-like accessories fitted to his forehead protector.

"Nagato" means "long-lasting gate". He may be named after the famous ninja Fujibayashi Nagato who, in the 16th century, was considered to be one of three greatest Iga jōnin. The other two were Hattori Hanzō (Hanzō's supposed namesake) and Momochi Sandayū (Zabuza Momochi's supposed namesake).

Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Nagato show that he was 149 cm around the time he killed the Iwa chūnin to protect Yahiko, and 163 cm when Jiraiya left Amegakure.

During Kazekage Rescue Mission, Nagato's Rinnegan were depicted with wrong colors due to the Rinnegan not having been illustrated with colors in the manga yet.

In keeping with his "God" theme, his theme-song is "Girei" — a haunting theme that consists of holy chanting.

(To Jiraiya) "Peace… I don't know how to get there… but… but someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it!"[40]

(To Akatsuki) "We're both of the same breed, after all… motives for war are of no concern. Religion, ideology, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because… No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start a war. War will never cease to exist… Reasons can be thought up after the fact. Human nature pursues strife."[41]

(To Jiraiya) "Even a foolish child can grow up in a right way, when he learns what pain is. Knowing pain controls ones thoughts and decisions."[42]

(To Tsunade) "You think you're the only ones who matter. You think you can put off death. But that peace made you foolish and thoughtless. If you kill someone, someone else will kill you… this hatred binds us together. I want you to feel pain, to think about pain, to accept pain, to know pain."[43]

(Last words to Naruto before dying) "Dying like trash… never ending hatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—"[44]

(Last words to Naruto before being sealed) "Naruto… I'll be returning to where our master is, so I can see your story… If you ask me… You're the third part that concludes the series… The first part was Jiraiya… He was flawless… But… The second part was me, an almost complete failure… I couldn't even get our master to acknowledge me… Ending the series is the third part… The final work will settle it all! Become such a masterpiece that that failure will be like it was cancelled altogether… Naruto!" (「ナルト………オレは師匠の所へ戻ってお前の物語を見ておくと…するよ…オレから言わせりゃ…お前は三部作目の完結編だ…一部が自来也…完ペキだった…だが…二部作目ってのはたいがい駄作になるオレのようにな……師にも認めてもらってない……シリーズの出来ってのは三作目…完結編で決まる!駄作を帳消しにするぐらいの最高傑作になってくれよ…ナルト!」, "Naruto… Ore wa shishō no tokoro modotte omae no monogatari o mite oku to… suru yo… Ore kara iwaserya… Omae was Anbusakume no kanketsuhen de… Ichibu ga Jiraiya… Kanpeki datta… Daga… Nibusakume tte no wa taigai dasaku ni naru ore no yō ni na…… Shi ni mo mitomete morattenai ……Shirīzu no deki tte no wa sansakume… Kanketsuhen de kimaru! Dasaku o chōkeshi ni suru gurai no saikō kessaku ni natte kure yo… Naruto!")[45]